Amélie Lacroix's Redemption - Widowmaker No More
by Strange Thoughts
Summary: Having spent the majority of the last decade as Talon's top assassin, Overwatch has successfully revived Amélie Lacroix from the depths of her conscience. Feeling an immeasurable amount of guilt for the countless atrocities she committed in her life as Widowmaker, Amélie must make her decision: Join Overwatch and avenge Gérard. And everyone she was forced to kill, for that matter.
1. Awakening

Author's Note

Hello everyone! This is my brand new fanfic, after the cancellation of my previous fanfic Overwatch Rising. I decided to make this because the topic, unlike Overwatch Rising, is a ways away. Though I'm not sure how far it is exactly, I'm sure I'll be able to finish this before the real thing happens. I want to see how this stacks up to what happens in canon when that comes.

As you can tell. This is about the deprogramming of Widowmaker, regaining her old personality as Amélie Lacroix, and then joining with Overwatch out of a desire for both revenge against Talon for they made her do, and redemption for the countless atrocities she committed.

For the record, this story assumes the reinstated Overwatch has been active for a while, and have recruited new members among them. The top brass of Overwatch at this point consist of Winston, Tracer, Genji, McCree, Mercy, Torbjörn, and Reinhardt; them being the seven that were part of the recalled Overwatch. Additionally, they've been joined by Lúcio, D. Va, Zenyatta, Pharah, and Bastion.

This takes place after a battle between Overwatch and Talon, where Widowmaker was at. In the resulting fight, Widowmaker lost and was knocked unconscious. Just as everyone debated over the idea of killing her or imprisoning her, Winston stepped in with an idea of his own. He learned what Talon was capable of, and realized that his old friend did not betray Overwatch willingly.

Winston worked for hours, days, and weeks on end trying to develop a way to deprogram her, all while Widowmaker was screaming to be let go. Despite pressure to give up, stating that it was a lost cause, Winston continued, always saying "Do you think _I_ would give up on _you_?". Eventually, he created a machine that cancels the effects of mind-alteration.

Our story begins with Amélie waking up after a deep sleep, about ten hours after the procedure was complete. She was blindfolded to protect her eyes, so she can't see what is happening, and believes she just had a very bad dream. She is in for a nasty surprise.

Now without further ado, let's get on with the story.

Awakening

Two weeks ago…

Switzerland

A fierce battle had just finished between Overwatch and Talon. It was over a database hidden in the mountains of Switzerland. The base held an innumerable amount of data that Talon stored within their systems. It was a hellish fight to say the least. Everyone there had to give it their all, and Talon fought back with equal strength. Ultimately, it proved to be mostly for naught. The resulting chaos led to the database exploding, preventing Overwatch from gathering said data.

Most of it, anyways.

Winston could gather just enough from before the explosion to learn that Talon had a program of reshaping innocent civilians into being their minions. From there, he learned that his old friend, Amélie Lacroix, did not betray Overwatch willingly. This changed everything.

Just when they escaped the ruins of the base, they encountered the unconscious body of their most dangerous assassin, Widowmaker. Having been defeated in battle by Tracer, with the help of D. Va. The members of Overwatch gathered together and debated what they should do with her.

There were talks of execution or imprisonment, but Winston stepped in with his own idea.

"That was our friend, Amélie deserves a second chance." Winston said.

"To do what? Betray us again?" McCree said with a tone of anger.

"She had no choice!"

"Do you realize how many men we've lost to this woman?" Torbjörn said.

"I know, but she wouldn't ever dream of it if she could." Winston said. "It's complicated, so I'll explain this in the easiest way possible. She's brainwashed!"

Everyone looked at him with confusion. They had never heard of this, and Winston was just now telling about how she was brainwashed. She murdered countless innocents, while enjoying every moment of it. Gérard had always been a victim of Amélie revealing her true allegiance to Talon. Winston knew he had to speak up. He was going to make a controversial decision as the leader of Overwatch, and many will hate it.

"We'll bring her back to our base, heavily restrained of course." Winston said. "I've found evidence that suggests they altered her mind to turn her into what she is today. Amélie was one of the nicest people I've ever met, she would never betray us willingly."

"That's exactly what she'd want you to think." McCree said.

"Do you have proof for this, big guy?" Tracer asked.

"I did, but it kinda got blown up."

"Great! We have nothing but a hunch to go on." Torbjörn said.

"But I know it's true."

"You know," Lúcio said. "You might want to listen to the big guy. People can do some crazy stuff when their mind has been altered."

"I sense within her a broken mind. And a broken mind leads to a broken life." Zenyatta said.

"That's a surprise coming from you." McCree said. "She was the one who killed your brother, after all."

"But he is right." Genji said. "I too sense a duality within her."

Winston adjusted his glasses. At the rate this was going, they'll just be standing around accomplishing nothing. The closer Widowmaker gets to waking up, the worse they can be. Winston stood upright, making him look opposing to everyone else.

"I don't normally like doing this, but as the leader of Overwatch, I command that we bring Amélie back for deprogramming. You don't have to like it, but that is my command."

McCree crossed his arms. "Getting comfortable with the whole 'leader' thing, huh?"

D. Va wasn't familiar with the situation, having barely been in her teens by the time Overwatch collapsed. But she knew what Widowmaker said to her. Something that made her feel uncomfortable on the inside when they fought.

" _I do not have pity, even towards children like yourself_."

She looked at Winston with a strong gaze.

"You better be right about you're saying, Winston."

Winston nodded. "I know I am. It's settled, everyone get back to the ship. I'll take care of this. Except for you Tracer, I need something else from you."

"What is that?"

"Amélie has a Talon aircraft in the hanger. Do you think you can pilot it back for us? It might be useful."

Winston handed Tracer the keycard to operate the ship. Tracer looked up to him and nodded.

"Consider it done!"

Winston approached Widowmaker as she lied on the ground. He was saddened, but hoped things would get better. He took out a device. Once turned on, it wrapped around Widowmaker's body to ensure she couldn't escape. He carried Widowmaker into their ship, and they took off to Overwatch's new headquarters.

* * *

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Two weeks passed since the battle between Overwatch and Talon. Winston spent as many hours as he could trying to deprogram Amélie's brainwashing. The whole time, he had to deal with her screaming to be let go, which pained him. As the days passed, the members of Overwatch, namely McCree, Mercy, Torbjörn, and many more, told him that it was a lost cause, and that he should give up.

That was the last thing he would ever do.

Eventually, Winston's hard work came into fruition. He created a machine that he called the 'Deprogrammer'. It was the best he could come up with in such a short time, so it had to do. Amélie, or rather, Widowmaker resisted with all the might she could. But in her binds, she was no match for a gorilla. He knocked her out with a dose of sleeping gas, and then brought her into the machine.

Winston blindfolded her to protect her eyes from the various flashing lights for when he operates. The Deprogrammer injected itself into the back of her neck. Winston now had a link to her mind. After spending hours working on her, careful not to damage the contents of her brain, Winston was certain that Amélie was back.

The process ended, Winston carried her to a hospital bed. There was rest needed, both for her and for him.

"Athena, wake me when you need me."

"Understood." Athena said.

Winston left the room, retreating to a bed to take a much-needed nap. He hoped, or rather, prayed, that Amélie would be there. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much guilt she would feel if she retains her memories, but he'll be there to comfort her on the way through.

Five hours later…

The members of Overwatch gathered together. They were told by Athena that Amélie would awake soon. Each sat on a couch or chair, discussion what the future holds.

"You really think she's been brainwashed?" McCree said. "Never believed in such a thing."

"Winston was so sure of it." Tracer said. "We'll just have to see."

"I won't be so quick to forgive her." D. Va said. "She took so many lives in cold blood, you can't erase that."

"What is there to forgive if it wasn't her fault?" Lúcio asked. "There good in everyone, you gotta believe!"

"For many years, I thought she killed my mother. She forced her to end her time in Overwatch in disgrace." Pharah said. "It's going to take more than a mere apology to set things right, you will see that."

"Haven't you ever heard? Forgive and forget! I think her guilt will be enough to deal with, we don't need to make things worse!" Reinhardt said.

"Forgive and forget? That's how she turns the knife on you when you least expect." Torbjörn said.

"One must always open they're mind, especially if their own was diluted." Zenyatta said.

Mercy sighed. "Winston better be right about what he said. I do not wish to be betrayed by her a second time."

Genji placed his hand on her shoulder. "I have faith in Winston, you should too."

They spoke little for the next few minutes. Then Winston entered the room, appearing to be in a rush.

"Everyone, come with me! Amélie has awoken."

They stood and followed him, without speaking a word.

"Alright everyone, I need you all to be on your best behavior. Amélie will most likely be in a state of shock, and we all need to comfort her."

All the members entered the room. Amélie still had her blindfold on, spoke weakly. She appeared confused, wondering why she was here. Winston stood on the right of her bed, while everyone else stood at the end of the room in front of her. They didn't know what to make of it.

Winston smiled.

"Welcome home, Amélie."

"That voice… it sounds all too familiar."

"It's me, Winston. I'll guide you through this, and be there when you need me."

Winston untied Amélie's blindfold. She blinked several times, looking at the crowd of people on the end of the room, each looked at her blankly. Then she looked at Winston, managing a smile.

"How could I ever forget you? You always were a true gentleman."

"Yes… thanks for the compliment."

"I am so glad you're here. I feel like I have had the longest nightmare… I did things that I would never dream of doing. I dreamed that I took the lives of countless innocents, including Gérard. Speaking of which, where is he? I am sure he wants to see me."

Winston paused. He had no idea what he was supposed to say. He looked back at the agents, most of whom also looked uncomfortable.

"Why is everyone looking like that? Gérard will be so happy to see me. It feels like it has been a very long time."

Even more nervous. Winston struggled to find the right words. There was no easy way to explain to her what happened. Amélie extended her hand from out of the blanket, and then saw in horror of what was in front of her.

Blue skin. Her forearm had tattoos, which read as 'nightmare' and 'evening spider', written to a sinister style. Amélie's eyes widened in horror as she looked at herself, realizing that her nightmares were true. A tear shed down her right eye.

"What have I done?" Amélie said, barely mustering the will to speak.

More tears. She couldn't hold back anymore as she broke down. Amélie cried relentlessly, feeling an extreme amount of guilt from the horrible acts she committed, all while enjoying every moment of it.

"Forgive me, Gérard…"

Winston hugged her tightly as she cried on his shoulder. After several minutes, Amélie allowed herself to breathe again.

"What have I done?" Amélie repeatedly said to herself. "What kind of monster have I become?"

"You're not a monster." Winston said in a soft tone.

"I never imagined that I would be capable of causing so much harm. I've killed so many people, more than I can count. Innocent people, with families, those with loved ones that looked up to them. Then I smiled, feeling the satisfaction of a job well done. How could I do this?"

"It wasn't your fault." Winston said. "You weren't yourself; you didn't have a choice."

"But it is my fault. They tortured me until I gave up, until I surrendered myself because I wanted an end. If I were a stronger person, none of this would've happened. A better person would've been able to resist. I know Gérard would. Besides, I still did it, and that is all that matters."

The agents had different emotions in reaction to the event. Reinhardt, D. Va, Mercy, Tracer, and Lúcio were saddened by what they saw. D. Va may have been angered by her actions, but it was hard to stay mad at her after seeing this. McCree, Torbjörn, and Pharah were less forgiving of her sob story, however. Genji and Zenyatta stood there, stoically watching everything unfold.

The rest of the night was spent by Amélie crying on Winston's shoulder, until she ran out of energy and fell back asleep from the exhaustion. After everything was over, they left to sleep themselves. There was a long day ahead of them tomorrow, as there was still an organization to run.

But, if all goes well, they may have found their newest member.


	2. Nightmares

Nightmares

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Amélie looked at a reflection of herself in the mirror. She saw in revulsion of what was in front of her. She could barely recognize her own self. Her transformation into a killing machine made her feel as though she were just a walking corpse. A fitting description, as her slow-beating heart and cold, blue skin was akin to a recently deceased. But here she was, still alive.

She shook. Amélie wanted a way to return to normal, to undo everything that became of her for the last seven years, and to bring everyone she killed back to life. But that couldn't happen.

"Why are you so saddened?" A voice said. "You remember what you said? When you were a girl, you were afraid of spiders. But now you identify with them, because at the time of the kill… they feel _alive_."

A shock. "Who said that?!"

A laugh. "It's me. Widowmaker. Do not be afraid, let me take control. I am you, after all. You know it was a thrill of take a life, are you going to simply abandon your – our – ways? It would be a shame."

"Shut up! I am not like that! I regret everything I did, and everything I felt while doing it!"

The reflection in the mirror smiled at her, with a smugly satisfied smirk that her own face would make whenever she got the job done. Now she's witnessing it for herself. Amélie gripped her fists together. She was literally coming to face with her inner demons. Widowmaker laughed again.

"Amélie, you aren't seriously going to turn traitor against Talon, are you? Why not return to them, go back to your life as Talon's top assassin. It is what you were born to do."

"That was the very thing I hated the most. So many lives lost by my hands… I never wanted this life, and I am not going back!"

"Denial. Such a pesky emotion. Now, I will admit. I felt that way after Gérard's unfortunate passing, but it just became so much easier with time. I think you will find that as well."

"Do not speak of him!"

"Why not? After all, he was our husband. Stop trying to act as if you are morally superior, because you're not. You were a ballet dancer before, how pathetic is that? Besides, what else was there for us? Being a trophy wife to a decorated Overwatch agent? Someone for him to show off to the other agents to as if you were something to be displayed? That doesn't sound like the kind of life I want, or what you want. You want to be a killer. Realize that, in due time."

"SHUT UP!"

Widowmaker laughed as Amélie punched the mirror in sheer anger and despair. Just when the mirror cracked, she awoke. Amélie had a dream, or rather, a nightmare. Her heartrate was up more than usual, which was to say, not much. Amélie rubbed her eyes as she looked out the window. It was the crack of dawn.

Her stomach growled.

 _Looks like I'm hungry. Better make myself something to eat._

Amélie got up from her bed. She realized she was still wearing the revealing 'uniform' as Widowmaker. This wasn't going to do. Amélie searched the closet, finding a white T-shirt, a pair of light blue pants, and boots. For now, this will work.

Amélie looked back at the mirrors on the dresser in her room. The giant spider tattoo on her back was visible to her, filling her with even more shame and disgust than the ones on her forearm. _I'm going to have to keep it covered from now on_.

A change in clothes, and she feels better. It was nice to get rid of the revealing attire, and she prayed that she would never wear it again. As Amélie moved down the hall, she realized that she could do far better than a breakfast for herself.

 _I'm going to treat everyone to a nice meal. It'll be the first step in redeeming myself to them._

Roughly six in the morning, everyone else was still asleep, though she wondered for how long. Amélie could recall how her mother taught her to be an excellent chef, and Gérard had nothing but nice things to say about her abilities in the culinary arts. For this, she was going to keep it nice and simple.

 _How about I give them a taste of France?_

For the next hour, Amélie worked without a break to make them a nice French breakfast. Croissants, tartine, and café au lait for everyone. After everything was done, she waited in the kitchen for the others to come. Soon enough, they awoke.

"Well, what is this?" Winston said. "I wasn't expecting breakfast to already be made. Thanks!"

"Oh… it was nothing, the least I could do really. Why don't you call the others down here?"

Winston obliged. The other agents of Overwatch came down one at a time, all having the same pleasant reaction to seeing what awaited them. Amélie felt warmer inside when they all enjoy the meals she made.

"This is so good, I never knew French breakfast would be so awesome." said.

"I'm not much for this kind of meal, but I'll admit, it's not bad. Not at all." McCree said.

"Whoa, this is amazing!" Tracer said.

Amélie smiled. This was the first step, she hoped, in many that will atone for her countless atrocities she committed in her past life. Though small, it was a start. Amélie retreated herself to outside the kitchen, and Winston followed.

"Amélie," Winston said. "I just want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I'll always be there. After everything you've been through, I'll do my best to help you out."

"Thank you." Amélie said. "But I don't need it, or rather, I don't deserve it. I am not the victim here. The real victims of Talon are all dead, and I pulled the trigger. What sympathy do I deserve?"

"You shouldn't think like that." Winston said. "It's not healthy for you. Everyone needs someone to talk to. Trust me on that."

Winston dismissed himself back to the diner room where he spoke with the other agents over breakfast. Right now, Amélie believed it was best that she helped, but kept her distance when necessary. After everything she did to them, she couldn't imagine them forgiving her after a nice breakfast.

She took a seat in the hallway, thinking about her future. _With this blue skin, I can't return to my old life. My only future is with them._

Just then, a visitor came to see her. Pharah. Her look didn't express joy like the others, just the opposite, in fact.

"I know you're trying to butter us all up so that we'll forgive you, but don't think you'll succeed. At least not with me. I will never forget what you did. The day I thought you killed my mother, and helped break up Overwatch. It's not going to be something I'll forgive in a moment's notice."

"That makes two of us."

Pharah dismissed herself from the hall. All she had to cling on to was hope, that one day she can atone for her sins. The guilt will never go away. One does not just forget about murdering countless innocents – the first of which being your own husband. But perhaps she can set it right one day, so that their deaths will be avenged. She didn't even want to think about how horrified Gérard has been, watching her from the heavens above for the last seven years, serving as the assassin for the very same organization he vowed to destroy.

 _I will redeem myself to you, Gérard._


	3. Membership

Membership

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Several days passed since Amélie Lacroix's awakening. In those days since, Amélie has felt nothing but guilt and shame within her. She could also tell that most of the other Overwatch agents resented her, appearing either angry or afraid at her mere presence. Not that Amélie has tried to socialize with them.

But something had to be done. Nothing would be achieved by sitting around, feeling sorry for herself all day. Something has to be set right, she knew it had to be done. She had to redeem herself, to her mind, to the other Overwatch agents, and most importantly, Gérard, in whatever place he currently resides in after death.

Amélie moved down the hallways and approached Winston in the command center. Everyone else remained silent, while Winston smiled at her presence. He might be the only one to do that.

"Amélie, what is it?"

"I would like to make a request." Amélie said. "Talon has taught me a great many lessons about the covert arts, and they turned me into a weapon. Now, I desire nothing more than to turn that against them. I want to join Overwatch."

"I was hoping you would ask that!"

Winston stood from his chair and approached Amélie. He patted her on the shoulder as he smiled. Amélie managed to smile back.

"Welcome to Overwatch, friend." Winston said.

"There will be a great many hardships ahead. But I will not run away from doing good. It was Gérard's job to put an end to Talon, so it's only fitting that I finish it."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Suit up, I have a special uniform that was made just for you in the changing room. I have a very important announcement to make."

"Wait, you had a special uniform made just for me? How did you know that I would join?"

Winston smiled. "Call it a hunch."

Amélie nodded, and dismissed herself from the command room. She arrived at the changing room, and found that a uniform was indeed made for her. White pants, black boots, and a light-armored blue jacket with the Overwatch insignia on the back. Amélie was glad just for the jacket, something to cover her tattoos with.

 _What was I even thinking when I got those? I guess the brainwashing made me lose all sensibility._

After everything was done, she felt like a completely new woman from before. At least, that was almost true. Her blue skin is unlikely to go away, so she can only deal with it. Amélie understood what Winston had in mind for her.

An hour later, the members of Overwatch from around the base gathered together outside in front of Winston. He appeared nervous, as he always does when he makes these announcements.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the top command of Overwatch. The leader is myself, the second-in-command is Tracer, the infiltrations expert is Genji, the general is Reinhardt, the commander is McCree, the head of R&D is Torbjörn, and the head of medical research is Mercy. Well, I have new position open for our newest member. Introducing Amélie Lacroix, our new leader of the counter-terrorism division!"

Amélie nervously stepped out in front of the numerous members of Overwatch. The crowd was silent for a few moments until someone spoke up, and it wasn't in a flattering way.

"Are you kidding me?" One member named Oliver said. "Why are we even letting this traitor in, and you're giving her a position of power? This is a joke."

"He's right." Another member named Reese said. "I lost my best friend to this bitch. She's just going to kill us all from the inside!"

This sparked a debate between various members, either outraged by her appointment to the head of counter-terrorism, or afraid of what she'll do behind their backs. Amélie was hardly surprised. Winston however, was not pleased by this. Not one bit.

"Enough!" Winston yelled, silencing the crowd. "Do you honestly believe that someone who married an Overwatch agent, who knew many of us, who admired Overwatch since her childhood, would ever dream of betraying Overwatch if given a choice? That was the one thing she didn't have. Amélie never had a choice, but now she does. She didn't have to join us, but she's doing so out of a desire to bring an end to Talon. And ask yourselves this, who here knows Talon better than Amélie? I doubt any of you have even half the information she does."

The crowd remained silent until Oliver spoke up again.

"That's a nice speech and all, but that's exactly what she'd want you to think. Are we seriously going to let her into our base, where she could easily betray us again, just to give someone a second chance? I mean, we've lost our loved ones to her, she took out Captain Amari, killed Mondatta when he was trying to make peace, and of course, she killed her own husband in his sleep, which allowed Talon to grow in power in the first place. Does she really deserve to be the head of counter-terrorism? Because she's sure done a lot in the name of terrorism if you ask me."

Amélie felt a string of emotions. She hated what she heard, but everything he said was true, and there was no way she could deny or downplay it. In fact, that's the worst thing she could do. Her only option was to own up to it. She must acknowledge the fact that she did many terrible things, and no amount of good deeds will ever change that.

She stood forward, facing the crowd by looking at them directly in the eyes.

"Everything you said, I understand. There is nothing I can do that will erase everything I did. All I can do is atone for my actions, by living to do as much good as I can. Mark my words, I will never run away from being a hero, no matter how small or hopeless it may seem. Don't make any mistake, no one here hates Talon more than me, and I will see to it that they will pay for their actions. I will avenge Gérard – no. I will avenge everyone they murdered in the name of spreading chaos around the world. You can count on that."

Winston started clapping, which led to other members clapping. At least half clapped at the speech by the end, while the others remained silent. They dismissed themselves after everything was over.

 _I suppose half will have to do._

Amélie retreated to her quarters. She thought to herself about the future. The head of counter-terrorism was a big position for her, but it was the same position that her husband had. She will see to it that his task is completed, once-and-for-all.


	4. Reunion

Reunion

Watchpoint: Gibraltar 

Winston was drinking a cup of coffee while sitting on his tire in front of a computer monitor. Just then, the door slid open. McCree stormed into the room, appearing as a combination of both worried and angry.

"Lacroix," McCree said. "She's nowhere to be found." 

"I know." Winston said. 

"What?!" 

"Amélie is visiting her hometown, Paris. Said it was an urgent matter." 

"Didn't think it would be that long before she cut and ran." 

"Don't think she's doing that."  
McCree crossed his arms. He always thought Winston was too trusting of some people, especially her. 

"She said it was related to family." Winston said. "I can only imagine how severed her familial ties are right now." 

""Yeah, whatever. If she thinks she can betray us again, well… there won't be another chance." 

"McCree walked out of the room. Winston looked back at him as he left, before resuming his activity.

He felt pity of Amélie, and wished to his best to guide her through her trauma. One could only imagine the kind of emotions she must be feeling.

Paris 

Amélie flown from Gibraltar to Paris on an Overwatch ship. It was controlled by Athena, as she had little knowledge when it came to piloting herself. Even if she did, it's not like she would be trusted enough to fly on her own. She was dropped in a relatively secluded area. To keep the attention off herself, she wore a black trench coat and a hat. Her blue skin would definitely draw in some looks, but if she covers herself enough it will be less of an issue. Amélie brought money with her that should cover her momentary stay.

There was one person she was here to see. Her mother, Florence Guillard. Like herself, she was an accomplished dancer before she left the career behind to raise her daughter. She hadn't spoken with her in over seven years, since her kidnapping by Talon. Her mother most likely believes her to be dead. Now was the time to set everything right. Amélie walked down the streets, keeping her head down to avoid others seeing her skin. She halted a taxi when she saw a vacant one. Inside, the driver took in the address and spoke.

"That'll be forty euros. Also, I must ask, what is your skin condition? I've never seen anyone blue like you before."

"Here's an offer. I'll give you sixty euros if you don't question my condition."

The driver nodded, happily taking the money for the trip. Amélie rested her head, looking out the glass and seeing the old buildings that were familiar to her. She could almost cry from returning to her home, and the fact that she won't be there for long.

"Here you go, Miss Blue."

The taxi parked in front of the apartment that had been her mother's home since the Omnic Crisis. It was once her home as well, when she was a child. Amélie gripped her hand into a fist, trying to relieve some of the emotions she felt on the inside. Right now, she needed to maintain her composure for what she was about to do. Amélie knocked on the door. A few moments later, it opened. None other than her mother. Amélie smiled, but Florence was confused at the blue woman in front of her. 

"Who… are you?" 

"Mother, I know I've changed but… certainly you recognize your own daughter?" 

Florence's eyes widened. Then, without hesitation, she hugged her tightly, with a desire to never let go. It became clear, after hearing her voice and seeing her face, she was unmistakably Amélie Guillard, or Lacroix, as she is known now. A single tear ran down Amélie's eye, which hit Florence's shoulder.

Florence finally let go, and signaled her to come in. 

"Come in. We have much to discuss." 

Amélie had an open smile on her face. The first time she felt such happiness in so long, she forgot what it even felt like. Amélie made her way through the apartment until she reached the living room. There were multiple pictures, and she had to try her hardest not to cry. One was a picture of her and Gérard on their wedding day. Another was picture of herself with Gérard and the other members of Overwatch at a get-together in Colorado, not long before her kidnapping. The hardest to take in was a picture of herself thirty years ago, age four, with Florence and her father, Nolan, out on a picnic. 

Nolan was a civilian who owned a fitness center. She can still recall the day she lost him, when she was only six years old.

"Not a day goes by where I don't miss him." Florence said. 

"I could say the same thing. The Omnic Crisis affected us all." Amélie said. 

Florence put her right hand on her daughter's shoulder as she continued to look at the picture. The thought haunted her, what if Nolan was watching her from Heaven just like Gérard, horrified by everything she did as Widowmaker? That's something she didn't like to think about. 

"I'll make us some coffee, then we can talk." 

Amélie nodded. She needed a moment to herself to shed a few tears over what she lost, before she had to do the difficult task of explaining the last seven years of her life to her mother. Amélie beheld the pictures, feeling an incredible amount of regret over the things she did, even if she didn't have a choice. The tears were wiped away as she made her best effort to keep her composure. Florence came back with two cups of coffee at hand, giving one to Amélie. She sat down and took a sip, before speaking up.

""Well Amélie, could you explain where you've been for the past seven years, and how you got this skin condition? I thought you died along with Gérard, that's what was presumed after you disappeared."

Amélie attempted to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. Nervousness and fear began to swoop in, preventing her voice from being heard. She cleared her throat, and made another attempt.

""I… I was kidnapped by Talon, the same organization of terrorists that Gérard swore to destroy. They wanted to kill Gérard after he foiled their plans on every turn, and they used me to do it. The plan worked like a charm, I should know. I was the one who killed him."

"That last sentence made her mother's eyes widen. She would've dropped her glass, had she not already set it down. Amélie looked at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact. Then she spoke again, hoping to clear things up.

"When I was kidnapped, I was tortured. They stripped me naked, drugged me so I couldn't sleep, deprived me of food apart from the bare essentials, and subjected me to extreme emotional and verbal abuse. All to break my will. They succeeded. When that was completed, it was a matter rewriting my mind through more scientific means. When it was done, I was essentially the trojan horse made to be 'rescued' by Gérard. For two weeks, I tried to assume my normal life, but it was not meant to be. When the time came, I murdered Gérard in his sleep. The whole time, I was fighting my programming to try to make it so I wouldn't do it, but it just couldn't be done. I at least made it painless…"

"That has to be a lie!" Florence said, interrupting her. "I didn't raise a murderer!"

"You didn't… but Talon created one." Amélie said. "For what it's worth, I attempted to turn the knife on myself, and I probably would've ended my life there… had they not thought of that, and programmed me to prevent me from committing suicide. I returned to Talon, and when they talked about how they had potential for a living weapon, I begged them to let me go. I already completed my task, there was no reason to keep me. They laughed and told me that I knew too much, and that from there on I would be a full-fledged member of Talon. The last thing I ever wanted to be."

Speechless. Florence couldn't even muster up the words to describe how she felt. She began to cry. Amélie would hug her, but she knew that would only make it worse.

"They trained me to be the perfect assassin, and slowed my heartrate down so I could be a tool of murder. When it was complete, I was stripped of my identity, emotions, and personality. I had a new name: Widowmaker. For seven years of my life, I was nothing but a killer, taking the lives of countless innocents for a cause I didn't believe in. But I felt satisfied, as though it was a job well done. Even then, there was a tiny part of me that was horrified by my transformation and actions. They didn't think of me as a person, just a loyal living weapon that could kill anyone they set their sights on. Ana Amari was one of my victims, and so was Mondatta…"

"ENOUGH!" Florence yelled. "I… you shouldn't have come here. You murdered innocent lives, those who have friends and family, and you think that I would be fine with that? You are not welcome in this home. What kind of monster are you? To feel satisfied over the act of killing, like it's something to be proud of?!"

"It wasn't me… they made it so that I couldn't feel anything other than joy over the act of killing…" 

"Do not downplay the fact that you committed mass murder, starting with Gérard. You disgust me." 

"I know. It tears me up on the inside knowing what I did. But I've changed. I'm a member of the new Overwatch, and I'm going to bring an end to Talon to avenge Gérard, as well as everybody else they forced me to kill. I'll make sure they didn't die in vain."

"Get out… I don't want to see you again. If you come back, I will notify the police. I cannot believe that my own daughter is a mass murderer."

"Amélie hung her head down in shame as she left. Deep down, she knew this wasn't going to end well. But she also knew that she had to tell her, there was no way around it. As she left out the door, she turned to face her mother one last time.

"One day," Amélie said. "I will prove to you that I am not a piece of shit. The same vow I made to Gérard. Hopefully we can see each other again, but until then, I love you. Even if you don't love me back. Goodbye."

No response. She exited outside, and let the tears fall as she walked through the streets of Paris. The situation was the worst it could possibly be. She never asked to be an assassin, to murder Gérard, to help disband Overwatch, to murder innocent people with their own loved ones. She didn't do anything to deserve this, but it all changed when those Talon agents abducted her.

She also knew there was no use in dwelling it, all she could do was play the hand she was dealt. It just felt so unimaginably horrible to be accused of willingly turning traitor.

 _I was married to an Overwatch agent, one operating against Talon no less. I was probably his biggest supporter when it came to defeating them. Joining up with Talon and being their top assassin was the last thing I ever would've done!_

But none could know what it's like to be under the effects of Talon's brainwashing. That's a fate she wouldn't wish upon anyone, and she knew from an outsider perspective, she appears as someone who betrayed her own husband when she revealed her true colors. Then got off easy because Winston felt sorry for her.

 _As the saying goes. Actions speak louder than words. I've done many actions that have caused so much pain, and no amount of apologizing will ever make up for it. Instead, I must show them that I truly am not the Widowmaker as they knew me._ _  
_

Amélie rode the taxi back to her ship, with a course set for Watchpoint: Gibraltar. A new home for now, it's not like she could stay anywhere else. 

"How did the meeting with your mother go?" Athena asked. 

"It could've gone better." Amélie said.


	5. A Needed Reminder

A Needed Reminder

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Amélie returned to Overwatch's headquarters after her little visit to Paris. The ship landed, and she stepped out. It wasn't easy after being disowned by her mother, but she couldn't blame her. The best she can hope for is that one day Florence will find a way to forgive her, which would likely happen before Amélie could ever forgive herself.

Through the complex she went. First she went to the changing room to put on her normal Overwatch attire. Then she felt hungry. She needed something to eat while she thought to herself. As she entered inside the lunchroom, she saw everyone else in their looking at her. Clearly, she the center of attention whenever she was with a crowd, for one reason or another.

She made herself a nice sub sandwich and had a soda to go alongside it. A simple meal, but definitely an enjoyable one, that serves well as a quick and easy dinner. Just when she was about to take her seat, a woman behind her spoke.

"Enjoy your meal, terrorist scum."

It was difficult not to lash out sometimes, but if she did, it would only be proving their point. But in all honesty, she can't really blame them for what they feel. Instead, she just elected to ignore her and continue to the table. She chose one where no one was sitting. Amélie didn't wish to disturb anyone by making them feel uncomfortable.

During the meal, a familiar face came in and spoke. Mercy.

"How did your little trip go, Amélie?"

"It… could have been better."

"What happened?"

"I met my mother for the first time in seven years. She thought I was dead, and she was so happy to see me. That changed when I told her the truth… now she never wants to see me again."

"You told her what really happened?" Mercy said with concern.

"I would never forgive myself if I lied." Amélie said. "I could not simply never see her again."

Mercy looked at her with sorrow. It wasn't easy having everyone hating her, but no one hates her more than herself. At the very least, there were those who understood. Those are the people that keep her going. Amélie knew the guilt would always haunt her, no matter much she tried to get quell it.

"I'm not going to lie." Mercy said. "When Winston spoke of bringing you back, I thought there was no hope. I thought it was more than mind control."

"I don't blame you." Amélie said. "I'm scared of myself. Everything I felt, all that talk of being 'alive' when I took the life of an innocent. I am in disbelief that this was me for seven years. Sometimes I question if Talon made me feel that way, or if I'm just a natural killer."

"Do you ever think the Widowmaker will resurface?"

"I don't know. I have nightmares where her, or the other me, speaks to me. If this really is an inner conflict, I want you all to know something. If I ever become Widowmaker again, and I betray Overwatch… don't even hesitate to kill me."

Hearing that saddened Mercy, her solemn eyes expressed concern for her newfound ally. No one could imagine what she went through, and what she is still going through. Amélie knew how many feared and despised her, and she couldn't blame them, but they could never understand what it was like. However, it was a fate she hoped would never befell on anyone else.

Amélie pulled up her sleeve, showing her right forearm tattoos in front of Mercy.

"These tattoos, like this one and the one on my back." Amélie said. "I got these after I was inducted into Talon, because I identified with spiders. They represent the opposite of what I really am."

"You know Amélie, we can get those tattoos removed if you like. With the technology we have, it won't be very difficult, as long as you can hold still."

"I appreciate the offer, but no."

"Why? If they're the opposite of the real you, why keep them?"

"Because…" Amélie said. "They're a needed reminder of my past self, and I will never forget. To remove these tattoos would be an attempt to forget and deny all the atrocities I committed, and that would be a stain to Gérard, no, everyone who lost their lives by my hand. As much as hate having them, they will remain because I will never deny that I did many, many horrible things as an assassin. Things that will never go away, even if I try to make myself forget."

Mercy smiled. She admired Amélie's passion for doing the right thing after living a life of sin. The fact that she never tried to deny to things she did was proof that Mercy was wrong about her.

"Also, I'm sorry." Amélie said. "I apologize for helping to disband Overwatch. To be part of the reason that an organization I admired since childhood was broken up, is yet another thing that haunts me."

"Amélie," Mercy said. "You can't keep beating yourself up over this. It's not healthy."

"I'll stop when I have a reason. Right now, all I've done is bring death to the innocent."

Still, Amélie would insist she was not the victim of Talon. Gérard, Mondatta, and countless others were. They lost their lives, and she was the one who ended them. She regrets being weak, not being able to resist the torture and torment.

"I will speak to Winston now. Thank you for talking to me." Amélie said.

Mercy nodded as Amélie departed. She went through the base until she saw Winston in the command center where he can usually be found. He was focused on current reports from all over the world, where Overwatch can act next. Amélie approached him and spoke.

"Winston," Amélie said. "See anything interesting?"

"I'm trying to find Talon activity. It seems they've been quiet since our last battle."

"Talon is most likely searching for me, and trying to recuperate from the losses."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"They always preferred not to do anything big immediately after a public event. It may be that they are already planning their next move, but are waiting for the right time to execute it."

Winston nodded. She hoped to help as much as she could. She didn't wish to underperform as the head of counter-terrorism. The truth is however, she never was invested in Talon's goals. When she was Widowmaker, Amélie cared little about what Talon really wanted. She just did as she was told. Outside of that, she felt little and hid away in her mountainside bunker in Annecy.

But regardless, if there was anyone with a bigger drive to take down Talon than her. After everything they did to her, and made her do, there was no way she was going to let them continue to harm others.

 _I will protect the innocent from harm, the same harm that I dealt._

It was then when Athena spoke.

"Talon activity has been reported in Annecy."

 _The same place as my hideaway…_

"They're holding several civilians hostage. A message was sent for us to receive."

A recording of a masked Talon operative came on screen. It immediately became familiar. It was the bunker she called home, the mountainside bunker Talon created just for her. The bunker was barely lit, while several operatives, as well as scientists being tied up against their will, were visible in the background.

"We know you kidnapped our assassin Widowmaker ever since your attack, and you've been holding her captive for over the past two weeks. We demand you give her back, or these civilians will die. You have 24 hours to comply."

Amélie gripped her fists. It angered her that Talon would put the lives of uninvolved civilians on the line just so they could get their weapon back. Another thing to feel guilty for, just her very existence has made the world a worse place. Now she wants nothing more than to fix that.

"These wretches… they have no honor. I'm sick of all these innocents being harmed in my name."

"We have to act fast or the hostages will die." Winston said.

"Send me on the mission. I will rescue those hostages, and I'll send Talon my regards."

"Alright, but you're going to need a team. You can't go it alone."

She nodded. "I never thought I'd wear the outfit again, but it looks I'll have to put it on one more time for this mission."

"Very well, you can expect it to be ready for you in your room soon. I'll assemble a team together, and we'll meet up in a couple of hours." Winston said.

Amélie departed. Roughly an hour later, she arrived in her room. Her catsuit she had been so accustomed to wearing was hanging right there, as was her gear. This wasn't going to be easy. Taking her clothes off was the easy part, putting the old outfit on was considerably more difficult.

 _I feel so brazen in this… thing._

Regardless of how she felt, she needed to look the way Talon expects her in order to successfully fool them. Amélie made her way through the halls, and she could tell that several agents she walked passed were admiring her in her outfit. Once she reached the landing area, there was a ship awaiting her. With her, there were three other people that were going on this mission. Tracer, McCree, and Lúcio.

"Hey, you ready for this?" Lúcio said.

"Ready to save some lives? Of course I am."

Winston approached them, having a look of confidence.

"This is your first mission, Amélie." Winston said. "The task is to meet up with the Talon agents, and strike them when they don't expect. They'll rescue the hostages. Unfortunately, I can't come along. The base needs me here."

"Understood."

With that out of the way, he took out a pair of handcuffs and handed them to Amélie. She seemed confused at first, until Winston cleared things up.

"This'll make them think we're still holding you hostage. However, it is a special kind of handcuff designed by me. When you say the word "unlock", the cuffs will do just that. Afterwards, be ready."

Amélie nodded.

"Alright team, I wish you the best."

Winston departed, leaving Amélie and the others to enter the ship. The hatch closed as they went inside, leaving the four of them to mind themselves. Amélie sat, thinking to herself. She didn't wish to disturb the others. However, McCree spoke to her with a stern warning.

"I know how this is going to go." McCree said. "You're going to cut and run back to Talon. And when that happens, I'll be ready."

Amélie remained silent. She didn't know what to say to that, because McCree had every right not to trust her. Tracer sat on the other end of the ship, looking at her phone. Never she expected to be working side-by-side with her, not that it's a problem now.

"I'll be watching your back." Lúcio said. "Let's make sure nothing goes wrong."

Amélie nodded. It would be an eight hour flight until they reached Annecy. Plenty of time to think, and rest before the mission was underway.


	6. Rescue

Rescue

Annecy

"You should be ashamed of yourself." A voice in the distance said.

Amélie looked around the ship. Tracer, McCree, and Lúcio were minding their own business. She was left wondering who said that to her. The voice seemed all too familiar, now that she thought of it.

"To kill your own husband… what kind monster are you? You couldn't have truly loved me if you were willing to do something like that."

"Gérard?!"

The tall, dark man who was once the loving husband of Amélie became visible. He stood on the other end of the ship, looking at her with a condescending stare. She couldn't get off from where she sat, his stare practically froze her in place. _How could this even be happening?!_

"Gérard… I love you!" Amélie pleaded. "I would never hurt you if I could. Talon brainwashed me, they ruined us both! I tried the best I could to fight the programming, but I couldn't. That fills me with regret every day."

"Because you were weak, or rather, because you truly are a killer at heart." Gérard said. "You're nothing but a crazy murderer, a tool to kill the innocent. I watched you from the afterlife, and realized what kind of monster you really were."

Hearing that from Gérard was like a punch to the gut. She began to cry, as she often has lately, and held her hand to her chest to help keep her broken heart in place.

"No, I would never do that if I could." Amélie said. "But I will never deny that I was weak, I know you would have had more willpower than me if you were in my position. But that's why they targeted me, because I was the easy one to convert."

"Spare me your sob story." Gérard said. "You said it yourself, you felt alive when you took an innocent life. A life with family, friends, those who admired them. Now they're gone, and it's all your fault."

"I know…"

Amélie looked down to the floor. She wasn't going to forget that, and it haunted her to think how she could feel that way when murdering someone. It was the thing that made her question her actual sanity.

"But maybe we can even it up?" Gérard said.

"… What?"

"We'll kill you, and avenge everyone you killed. I'm sure they'll be smiling down upon us knowing that their killer is in the grave, where she belongs."

"No… please, I-I…"

The other three started looking at her as well, after having been completely silent the whole time.

"Yeah, why don't we kill you now, do the world a little favor?" Tracer said. "I'm sure the Shambali will thank me for avenging Mondatta."

"Now, I'm not the kind to hurt a lady." McCree said. "But as far as I'm concerned, you're not even human."

"I can't wait to tell all my friends that I helped kill Widowmaker." Lúcio said. "They'll be so proud of me."

Gérard smiled. He stood up, and moved forward until he was right behind the rest. The look he gave her was the kind of look she would give as she took a life herself. Now she could feel what it was like to be on the receiving end of the death she dealt to others.

"It's unanimous then." Gérard said with a grin. "Farewell, Amélie."

"No! Please, I'm begging you!"

They moved closer, ready to kill. This would be a time to get their revenge for all the wrong she did to the world, and there was nothing Amélie could do about it.

Just when she thought she was about to die, she woke up.

"Gérard!" Amélie exclaimed.

She looked around the ship in search of him. Nothing but the other three staring at her, wondering what was going on. Then it became clear, it was just another nightmare.

"Whoa, you alright? What happened?" Lúcio asked.

"Oh… it was nothing."

Amélie didn't wish to speak about what her nightmares, there was no need to share something like that with others. It was best to keep those thoughts to herself.

"How long was I out?"

"About five hours." Tracer said. "We better be ready for the mission soon."

"Yeah, I will."

On the booth she sat, thinking about her latest nightmare. She wondered if they will ever go away. Regardless, she didn't want to think about it that way. There were more important things for her to worry about than that.

"So, this place we're meeting them at," Lúcio said. "It's a bunker, right? I heard you lived there when you were, um, one of them."

"Yes." Amélie said. "It was made just for me. It was luxurious, but the real purpose was so they could keep me in their sights when out of mission."

"I see, that probably makes sense." Lúcio said.

Amélie appreciated how well Lúcio was accepting of her, not once did he speak to her with any hostility, and she learned from Winston that he was one of the biggest advocates for her redemption.

It would be another hour until the bunker came into view. The mountains that overlooked Lake Annecy was a sight to behold, as the snowy tops over the green surrounding it made the others admire it. The mission would commence shortly. Amélie put on the handcuffs, the metal braces feeling tight around her wrists.

"It is time." Amélie said.

"Yeah, time to see if bringing your ass to our base was actually worth it." McCree said.

She could tell that McCree was prepared for her to betray them. That's not what she was planning to do.

The ship docked at the hanger, where there were multiple armed, faceless Talon operatives awaiting them. One of them spoke over an intercom to ensure they could be heard.

"Bring out Widowmaker, now. No one else is to exit the vehicle, nor are they to leave until she is secured. Any failure to follow these instructions, and the hostages will die."

"I don't like the sound of this, not at all." McCree said.

"Just go with it, I will make sure the hostages will live, regardless of what happens." Amélie said.

The hatch opened, Amélie stepped out. She decided it would be best to act as if she were still Widowmaker, in order to keep their trust. It wasn't difficult, as it was her identity for the better part of a decade. She looked at the Talon guards with her smug smile.

"Ah, I was wondering when Talon would finally take notice of me. And here I thought I was going to be left behind, as if I were as disposable as the mere rank-and-file grunts."

"Yep, definitely her alright. We'll take you in. I think you'll be pleased with the treat we have for you."

' _Treat'? What is he talking about?_

Two Talon operatives escorted Amélie inside. She was ready to activate the handcuffs to open at any moment, until they made their way to the hostages. They were squirming in fear, and she could see the terror in their eyes when they saw her.

"We didn't just pick any random civilians." An operative said. "These scums are former Overwatch. As a gift, instructed by Lord Talon, you can execute the lot of them. Here, I'll help you with those handcuffs and hand you a sniper rifle. A Widow's Kiss, good as new."

"Ah, just what I needed." Amélie said. "Now free me, so I can remind myself I'm alive."

The operative took out a device, which disabled the circuitry in the handcuffs. They felled to the ground, with a distinctive _clunk_ up hitting the floor. Amélie felt her hands, moving them again to relieve the tightness of the cuffs.

"Now then, execute them, and we'll take care of those pesky Overwatch agents." He said as he handed her the rifle.

She smiled at the hostages with a smug-looking stare. They shook with fear, knowing this was the dreaded Talon sniper who helped with take down the original Overwatch. The one known only as 'Widowmaker'.

"No… please don't kill us! We did nothing to deserve this!" One hostage begged.

"I will eliminate my enemies." Amélie said.

She pointed her rifle at them, and the gun extended into its sniper configuration. They cried as they awaited what seemed like the end, another victim of the vicious murderer, who had taken the lives of innocents, starting with her own husband.

"Goodbye."

A shot fired.

A Talon operative dropped.

Before anyone could react, she gunned down several more operatives, before taking out the other two across the room. Only one left, the one who instructed her to execute the hostages in the first place. She grabbed a hold of him by the neck, he didn't even have the chance to react. All of this was done in the span of ten seconds.

"Struggle, and I'll snap you in two."

"Widowmaker, what the hell are you doing?!"

She didn't give him the luxury of her answer. Instead he contacted her fellow Overwatch agents through her communicator.

"I've disposed of the Talon operatives inside, I need you to eliminate the ones out there and get in here."

"I hear you." Lúcio said on the other end.

Gunfire was heard out there, followed by the screams of the Talon agents. Soon enough, the three of them were inside. McCree looked at her with complete astonishment.

"For the record, this is how I 'cut and run back to Talon'."

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just take care of the hostages." McCree said.

"Don't worry luvs, we're here to save you." Tracer said.

The hostages were relived, if confused, by the turn of events. Tracer undid the ties that kept them together, and they stood, appearing lightheaded from the experience.

"Um, I don't know what to say." One scientist said. "I thought we were goners for sure, given your, um, reputation. What made you turn on them, Widow?"

"All of the things I did, it was because I was programmed to." Amélie said. "Now I am free. Oh, and you can call me Amélie."

The Talon operative in her grasp struggled to break free. This only angered her. She walked him over to the wall, and bashed his head against it. On the ground, he appeared helpless as he looked in terror at her. Though she couldn't see behind the mask, she could only assume it was the same terror she used to inflict on the innocent.

"Go back to your leader, and report to him your failure." Amélie said. "Report to him that Amélie Lacroix is Widowmaker no more. That, and I am coming for him. Now, leave this place at once."

He ran away in fear, going past everyone else as he fled to his ship. The others continued as they escorted the scientists to the Orca. Amélie looked back at her bunker before they left. _Good riddance._

McCree approached her, having a smile on his normally stern face.

"I must admit, I didn't think I'd be saying this, but what you did back there was mighty fine."

"Yes, but I was just doing my job."

"A job I didn't expect you to do. Maybe I was wrong about you after all."

Amélie smiled. Those words of approval gave her hope, that maybe she could redeem herself to everyone else. To prove that she is more than a murderer who preys on the innocent, that she isn't what everyone thought she was. Now she had to make some apologies.

The scientists were startled when Amélie came near them. Clearly, they were still terrified of her.

"About that back there, I'm sincerely sorry for that." Amélie said. "But if I gave any indication that I wasn't going to kill you, my cover would be blown."

One simply nodded. Maybe it was for the best that she didn't talk to them at the moment. The next one she had to apologize to was Tracer. She walked up to her, with a solemn expression that caught her attention.

"I never got the chance to say this." Amélie said. "I don't expect you to forgive me, because I doubt I would in your position, but I apologize for everything I did. Having murdered Mondatta in front of you, in your own home, then I left you hurt as I laughed in your face. It was truly… despicable."

"You weren't yourself at the time, luv." Tracer said. "It's not like you would've done that if you had a choice, the Amélie I knew never would've done something like that. I think you need to forgive yourself more than I should forgive you."

Her eyes widened. To hear something like that from someone she caused so much pain to was hard to take in. She didn't feel like she deserved that forgiveness, and the guilt struck her even more. _Is this what they mean when they say 'kill them with kindness'? Because I should not be forgiven, she has every right to be angry with me._

Amélie excused herself to her seat, where she thought to herself. The trip back to Watchpoint: Gibraltar would be long, and she couldn't wait to make it home for some solitude. Deep down, she wondered about herself still. Amélie couldn't deny that there was a certain thrill in what she did to those Talon agents. Maybe it was because she was giving them what they deserved, taking out her murderous desires on Talon, rather than the innocent.

But she didn't wish to experience that thrill. She's back into the business of taking lives. Far from innocent, but these people still likely had families too. _I guess this is my calling, for better or for worse._


	7. Programming

Programming

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Amélie stood in the shower as the water rained down upon her. Two days passed since the rescue of the hostages from Talon, and when it came to gaining the forgiveness from everyone, it was a start. For some, it was hard to say that she was still Talon when she took down multiple Talon operatives. Still, there were those who hated and feared her anyways.

Every time she slept, there were nightmares. She wasn't sure if they would ever go away. It usually had to with either her previous self as Widowmaker, Gérard, the scientists responsible for transforming her, or a haunting flashback from the process that broke her.

Her right hand was placed against the front of the shower. These moments where she could stand under the heat felt good to her cold skin. She took multiple showers a day, not just for the warmth but also because it gave her a space to think to herself.

The mission gave her the good will of others, but it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. Amélie felt like she didn't deserve the good will of others. After everything she did, the lives that were lost to her hands, for her to be forgiven felt like it was unearned.

 _I saved a few lives, but what was that compared to the countless lives I've taken?_

But her situation gave her a resentment towards Talon, and the world at large. There exists a means to turn innocent people like her former self into mass murdering living weapons, yet poverty and famine is still a problem. It was disgusting to think about.

She also wondered how many others were part of the program. She never saw anyone else, but if Talon had the means to do this to her, then there certainly must have been others.

 _I need to shut down the program. It's too dangerous, for the lives of the innocent and the world. If any government agency got their hands on the details, the results could be catastrophic._

Amélie got out of the shower, and dried herself off with a towel. She put her Overwatch uniform. It felt nice to wear the jacket with the Overwatch insignia on it. From her childhood, when the Strike Team helped save France from the invading Omnics, she admired them for their bravery. In particular, she looked up to Ana Amari as a role model. Of course, life would prove how twisted it can be, that she would end up as her killer.

She walked through the hallways, ignoring those who passed her, as there are more than a few who would shoot with her mean looks. Once outside, she admired the sun as it shined brightly. Nature truly was a beautiful thing, she would admit.

Then she could see a peculiar looking Omnic in the distance. A closer inspection revealed a bastion unit. Surprising. She thought those were completely dismantled. But then it came to her attention, that this one was at harmony with nature. With its bird at hand, also admiring the beauty of the land, it took was freed from its programming.

It became clear. This was the Bastion, the last one. Now she remembered hearing about this particular bastion unit, who grew out of its programming. Now she could relate. Amélie came closer, catching Bastion's attention.

"You were one of the many bastions that fought in the war." Amélie said. "But you've been broken free from your programming. Interesting."

Bastion tilted its head sideways, and made several chirping sounds. Amélie wished she knew what it was saying.

"I am in a similar situation. I used to serve Talon, a terrorist organization, out of no choice of my own. But Winston freed me, and I am still living with the guilt of everything I did during that time."

The Omnic looked at Ganymede, and made several chirping sounds. Then it came closer to Amélie. It towered above her, and quite frankly it was a little intimidating being so close to a machine designed for killing.

But then it struck her. _I was nothing more than a machine designed for killing!_

Bastion stood tall above Amélie, and gave several happy noises towards her. She didn't know what it was saying, but nonetheless it felt good to hear from it. She thought it was funny, as the person who could most relate to her situation was a machine, or an Omnic, that was incapable of human speech.

"Yes, I hope that I can do good for this world." Amélie said. "I will never back away from helping others for as long as I am able, that I promise."

Bastion gave Amélie a thumbs up. For Amélie, having someone else who could relate to her situation was something she would cherish. But nothing could ever make the guilt go away. That, she was certain.

"I hope we'll remain in touch." Amélie said. "You and I are a lot alike."

Bastion nodded. Amélie departed, leaving Bastion to harmonize with nature by itself. She went to the council room, where the other Overwatch members were at. Taking her seat, Amélie awaited what Winston had to say about what would happen next.

"You look better." Tracer said.

"Thank you."

Even though her skin was still cold and blue, there was something about her that was less malicious looking. Just her eyes, which appeared genuine rather than psychotic, made a big difference. Winston entered the room, appearing with a smile.

"The agents of Overwatch, I'm happy to say the rescue mission was a success. The scientists promised to work closely with us."

Amélie smiled. It felt good to be helping people, for a change. Just the fact that innocent lives were saved by her, rather than taken, helped ease her feeling of self-worth.

"But of course, there is still work that needs to be done." Winston said. "Talon is most likely panicking at the loss of their top assassin. With this, they may be laying low for a little while until they plan their next move. Or more likely, they may be planning to find an adequate replacement. That is our chance to get the upper hand."

"I'm listening." Amélie said.

"We've been getting a layout for months now of Talon areas of operations, though I believe you'd already know where they operate."

"Not as much as you would think, unfortunately." Amélie. "I was just a weapon who did little more than kill whoever they wanted me to, and I had little invested into their plans."

"But you still have more information than us." Winston said. "One of their bases is a camp in Egypt. I believe this may sound familiar."

"Yes." Amélie said. "I was with Gérard there when he was on a meeting. That's when Talon got a hold of me, and everything changed for the worse. I think I know what you have in mind."

Winston smiled. Amélie stood. She felt a burning desire to undertake her next mission, as a means to get back at Talon while saving more lives in the process. She gripped her hand into a fist, knowing she would be returning to the place that started it all.

"I am going to infiltrate Camp Delta, and acquire any information I can. Anyone held captive there, I will rescue and bring here."

"I'm glad you have such a passion for this." Winston said. "Anyone you wish to bring along?"

"No. It is too dangerous to bring more people, increases the chance of getting caught exponentially. I will go in alone, all I request is an Orca for transport when I exfiltrate."  
"Alright, it's a plan then." Winston said. "But you should be warned, if you get caught there… I'm afraid of what they will do."

Amélie looked down, thinking to herself. It was a horrifying thought. If they successfully captured her, she could end up becoming Widowmaker again. Something she never wants to return to. But she promised she will never back away from doing good, no matter the risk, as her goal for redemption.

"I won't stand back as more lives are at risk." Amélie said. "I'll undertake the mission as soon as you need me."

Winston nodded. The others in the room looked at her, as she would be going on a mission without support, infiltrating a Talon camp no less.

"You sure you want to go by yourself?" Tracer asked. "Seems dangerous if you ask me."

"If I wanted to stay out of danger, I would still be a dancer."

"Alright, you'll depart in three days. I'll make the preparations until then for your mission."

"I understand."

The meeting was dismissed. Amélie took the time to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do. Going to Camp Delta will undoubtedly bring back some rather painful memories, but as she knows, the fate that befell her isn't something she wants to happen on anyone else.


	8. Camp Delta

Camp Delta

Egypt

Amélie sat in the Orca as it flew through the skies, considering what she was about to do. It had been roughly two-and-a-half hours since she departed from Watchpoint: Gibraltar to southern Egypt. She recalled her meeting with Winston before she left.

* * *

"Amélie," Winston said. "I made you a new visor. I think you'll prefer it to your old one."

Winston took out a new visor that was blue, and had a singular lens as opposed to multiple spider-like ones. Amélie was handed the technology, which she examined with curiosity. She preferred this visor over the old one, that was for sure.

"Not bad, I think I'll be using this from now on."

"It has all the same functions as the previous one, but doesn't look like a spider's head. I know you don't associate yourself with spiders anymore."

"I was afraid of spiders when I was a child. I probably still am."

There was something else Winston had for her. He reached out from under the table, and took out a sniper rifle. This one had a different look to it from her Widow's Kiss. As an Overwatch sniper, she would now use a black rifle with blue and orange marks, complete with the Overwatch symbol on the left side. The scope was also blue.

"This is the sniper rifle you'll be using from here on." Winston said. "Better than a Widow's Kiss, I'll say."

"Thank you."

Amélie was handed the sniper, she examined it and aimed at the wall to see how well it fared.

"I can work with this."

She thought it was a little funny. Guns are guns, and it's not like this sniper will be any more harmless to the enemy than a Widow's Kiss. For obvious reasons however, she didn't want to wield a weapon with that name. Amélie put on her new visor, it was good fit.

"I am ready to complete my mission."

"Yeah, just don't get caught."

Amélie saluted Winston before departing. She felt some pride in herself, as for the first time she got to be an agent of Overwatch. If the circumstances were different, it would've been a dream come true.

* * *

The Orca parked itself in the desert, activating its camouflage function to ensure it wouldn't be detected. She wasn't far from Camp Delta, just enough that she wouldn't be seen. It was evening, Amélie decided to wait until the sun completely set before traversing the lands. It would be cooler outside, and she would be harder to detect.

Several hours passed. She passed the time by watching a movie. Just the simple pleasures in life that she had been denied during her time as Widowmaker, was enjoyable here. After the movie was finished, Amélie prepared herself for what the task at hand.

Her visor equipped, and her sniper loaded, Amélie exited the Orca. Roughly a half hour went by until Camp Delta came into view. The area was large, as it spread wide enough for vehicles to drive through it. Amélie reached into her jacket pocket, and pulled a suppressor, which she equipped to her rifle.

 _I'll have to be silent if I need this._

Suddenly a truck drove by. Thinking quickly, Amélie hid behind a bush to avoid detection. It was a big truck that towered over anything it would stand by, made for delivering cargo. When the truck passed by her, she knew this would be a great way to infiltrate the camp. She silently grappled to the inside with her hook.

 _A little cramped in here, but it'll work._

Amélie activated her Infra-Sight to see what was outside. The visor counted the number of men at the camp, roughly thirty. She knew she had to be careful about, as even someone as dangerous as her couldn't take on thirty trained Talon agents all by herself.

The truck checked out at the entrance, and then continued through the base. This was her cue to leave. She quietly exited the back of the truck when no one else was around, and began sneaking through the base, mindful of anyone around.

 _My Infra-Sight cannot find the prisoners. They're underground, just like I was when they captured me._

Amélie was crouched, careful to hide behind whatever was available to avoid detection. She saw a guard coming her way, this was the time to get some information. The guard unassumingly moved forward until he was at just the right spot. Amélie grabbed him, covering his mouth before he got the chance to scream. She took a knife from out of her jacket, and put it against his neck.

"Scream, and you die."

The guard was allowed to speak. He struggled with the words until Amélie asked the question.

"The others. Where are they keeping them?"

"Augh… They're downstairs in the main building up front. Good luck getting through, you'll be caught real quick!"

"Not if I can help it."

Amélie choked the guard until he passed out, then quietly placed his body behind a bush to avoid detection. The main building was a large, stone complex that was on the furthermost part of the camp. It made sense to keep the ones like her underneath.

She made sure to be silent as she grappled up to the nearest building. Her visor gave her the ability to see everything she needed. From building to building she moved from one to the other in a quick fashion, until she was near the facility. Amélie blended in with the shadows, avoiding any sources of light while she made it through to the door.

It was unlocked. She silently opened it, and gently closed it. She could see through the walls that the Talon guards were on break, and taking naps. That made her job much easier. Amélie was careful going down the stairs, and eventually she arrived at the door to the underground laboratory.

Amélie felt a trickle of sweat.

 _Here I am sneaking back into the place that transformed me into the killing machine I am today. This does not feel good. But no turning back now._

She opened the door, trying her best not to make any noise. The door, which was old, made a few creaking sounds. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. She slipped through as soon as there was enough room for her to fit. Her heart started beating faster than normal, which felt fast to her even if slow to a regular person, and the feeling of nervousness and dread dawned over her.

Voices were heard in the distance. They were terrified voices of captured civilians, begging to be let go. Her eyes widened. Just as they thought, it was just like what they did to her. She gripped her fist. _Never again._ Amélie crouched, doing her best to silence her movement as she made it closer to them.

"Don't act like that." A male voice said. "You have all been selected as part of a wonderful program. One that will free you from your boring old lives, and give you all a much more meaningful new one."

That voice. It was Dr. Graves, Talon's head scientist. He led the operations involving her torture and brainwashing into Widowmaker. She could recall those days, when he would subject her to extreme abuse, with him constantly telling her that she was worthless, that she was nothing more than a thing to be used.

The process thoroughly broke her, and that allowed for them to insert their programming into her mind. Hearing him again like this only fueled her anger, and her regret for not being a stronger person.

The test subjects captured were crying in terror. The kind of terror that she knew, and realized what was happening. The Nightmare Toxin. It was a special drug he used to force hallucinations onto people, just like her. It took Amélie's entire strength not to barge in and attack upfront. She knew she had to be very careful about this.

"I'm glad I can explore this terror with the rest of you." Dr. Graves said. "Don't worry, you'll be loyal to us in time."

The group of civilians shook in terror, reliving their worst nightmares. Amélie remembered being subjected to that when they captured her. Now she wanted her revenge. She snuck over to his office, and awaited his arrival.

Soon enough, he arrived. Dr. Graves whistled as he walked into his private office, none the wiser of what awaited him. He turned on the lights, and gasped when he saw Amélie.

"Remember me?!"

"Widowmaker?!"

Amélie grabbed him by the throat, barely giving him enough to breathe.

"Do not ever call me that again."

She slammed him against the wall, holding him up with little effort. Amélie could see why he would target someone like her, as he only preys on the weak. But she isn't weak anymore.

"How many have you captured for this program?"

"Augh… thirteen."

That was enough for her to slam him against the wall again. Never did she want the fate that befell her to happen to anyone else, and he captured seven people for that to happen. Then he started to smile, practically grinning psychotically.

"Oh, I remember you so well." Dr. Graves said. "You exceeded all expectations. I just wanted to have you kill Gérard, and then you precede to kill all of our enemies. Great work, by the way."

"Shut up."

"Does the truth hurt?" Dr. Graves said. "Do you really believe we 'made' you feel the thrill of taking a life? No, it was what you desired the whole time. Wouldn't you say you would rather live your life doing what you loved, rather than being some dancer wife of an Overwatch agent for him to show off to everyone?"

"Do not speak of Gérard that way."

"I hope you realize that it was nothing personal, what we did to you to get Gérard. Sometimes, you just got to do what you got to do. We saw a chance to strike where he didn't expect, and we took it. I'd say everyone was a winner here. We got rid of an enemy, and you got a new, much more fulfilling life out of it."

Amélie gripped tighter. She was about ready to snap his neck, and it would take restraint on her part not to. The smile grew even wider, much to her confusion.

"Why are you telling me this? What's so funny to you?"

"I just think it's funny that, for all your so-called power, you've let a non-combatant like me get the better of you."

"I have you right where I want you. Release the prisoners, and surrender to Overwatch, or I will kill you."

"It's funny how a few words can provide a good enough distraction, even for the best of assassins."

She didn't get the chance to react. Dr. Graves, was able to take out his Sleeping Gas he hid inside of his sleeve, and rendered Amélie incapacitated. It was like she couldn't take control of her body. She fell to the floor, and all she could see was his smile before her eyes shut.

"Damn you…"

He laughed. Soon enough, he would have his most valuable prize back into Talon's clutches.

"What luck that you came back to us? It's almost like you wanted it to happen." Dr. Graves said. "This time, I'll be sure to work out the kinks so you'll be ours forever."

Amélie fell to the ground. Dr. Graves called in his men to have her carried to their chamber, and handcuffed to a chair. The council will be so happy that he got their weapon back so easily. He laughed, kicking back in his chair feeling the pride of his job well done.

* * *

To be continued.


	9. Breakout

Breakout

Egypt

Amélie felt like she was in a different world. She couldn't explain it, but her mind was at ease. It was the first time in a long time she could say she felt that way. She stood in the middle of a field, looking at herself. Her skin was normal again, and those horrible tattoos were gone.

"Where am I?" Amélie said, softly. "Have I died?"

"No." A familiar voice said. "But you are in a good place, for a moment. We should speak while you are here."

A man appeared in front of her. It was none other than Gérard. Her eyes widened, and she ran up to hug him tightly, wishing never to let him go. Gérard gently eased himself out of her grasp, and put his hand on her shoulder, looking at her directly in the eyes.

"Gérard…" Amélie said, mustering the will to speak. "There aren't any words I can use to describe how sorry I am for what I did. I don't expect you to forgive me, I just want you to know that it fills me with regret."

"But I do forgive you."

"…What?"

"It wasn't you that killed me, it was what Talon programmed inside of you. If anything, I should be angry at Talon. What kind of monster forces an innocent woman into murdering her husband? I actually blame myself for not protecting you."

That made her feel conflicted emotions. She liked hearing Gérard's approval, but she wasn't going to let anyone else take responsibility for what she did besides her.

"Please don't say that. I was the one who murdered you, helped to disband Overwatch, and then murdered an innumerable amount of other innocent lives, all while enjoying every moment of it. It all rests on my shoulders. A stronger person in my position would've succeeded. You would've succeeded, and none of this would have happened. That was why they chose me, because I was the weak one. Because I was the one they could break."

She started crying again. It was becoming an all-too-occurring thing in her life at this point, but she couldn't help it. Gérard hugged her in return, and she regained her composure. A deep breath, and Amélie was back to normal again. They looked at each other in the eyes once more.

"I know you have been watching me from the afterlife, and I have only brought shame to your memory. Everything I did as Widowmaker, it was the opposite of everything you stood for."

"But you are not Widowmaker anymore."

"And I pray that I never will be again." Amélie said. "But now I have joined Overwatch, the one Winston reinstated, and I am leading operations against Talon. I imagined that it was what you wanted me to do."

"That is correct." Gérard said. "You said you were weak, but now you are a stronger person."

"Because of Talon." Amélie said. "I would rather have my old life back, and undo everything I did for the last seven years, than have this power."

"You have to play the hand you have been dealt." Gérard said. "You must also realize that strength comes from within. I need you to be strong, for both of us."

Amélie breathed in. What he said was true, she couldn't change what happened. She could only make the future a better place. Talon gave her the means to fight, which was meant to be used to kill innocent people. Now she's going to use it to protect the lives of the innocent.

"It was your job to put an end to Talon." Amélie said. "I promise you that I will finish it."

"That means a lot to me." Gérard said. "No matter bad it was, I believed that one day you would be able to find the right path. It makes me happy to see you are free at last."

"But it doesn't make the guilt go away." Amélie said. "Nothing ever will. So many lives lost by my hand, taken in cold blood, for a cause I never believed in. I shudder to think about the families they had, the ones who loved them just as I loved you, and how I took them away."

"Amélie, I've already forgiven you." Gérard said. "Now you must forgive yourself."

"If only it were so easy."

"I know that it is a difficult task, as I couldn't imagine what you are going through. But there is no good in dwelling on the negative forever. I wish I could be there for you, but I can only watch you from up there in spirit. Amélie, I love you."

"And I love you, Gérard…"

Amélie moved over, and reached in for a kiss. The first time in forever.

Just before they could, she awoke, to a large skinheaded man right in front of her.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead."

Paine. The man was the one who tortured her into submission to begin with, and now he woke her from the first pleasant dream she had in a long time.

"You are going to pay dearly for that."

"Yeah, right." Paine said. "You know something? I'm glad you've been freed. It means I get to do this to you all over again."

Amélie was handcuffed. Her hands were behind a chair. Not for long.

"I'm going to have so much fun with you, and I'm sure the council is going to be happy with me after I get them their top assassin back."

"I'm not the weak and helpless woman I was when I was first captured. You should know that."

"Which means I'll just have to go harder on you."

"Actually, it means your precious little handcuffs won't hold me for long."

"Quit talking! God, I remember you the first time. You were a good woman who only spoke when spoken to. Now you just won't shut up."

"Because I needed to provide a distraction."

She smiled at him as she extended her hands out, free from the handcuffs, to his surprise. There weren't any words as Paine threw a punch, which she swiftly dodged. Amélie rolled to the side, and grabbed a knife. She threw the knife at him, and it hit his shoulder. Paine fell to the ground in agony.

"How… how did you get free from my handcuffs?!"

"You would not believe all the things Talon taught me."

She was prepared in case she got captured. Amélie brought some bobby pins that she kept in her back pocket, and freeing herself from the handcuffs was simple after the lessons Talon gave her during her extensive combat training. That was perhaps the one good thing Talon had ever given her, because now she can use that to take them down.

Amélie approached Paine, and looked down on him with anger.

"Are you still having fun?"

"You ungrateful little…"

"Good riddance."

She grabbed him around the neck, and after a quick struggle, a snap was heard. Paine fell to the ground. It felt good that her tormentor was finally gone.

"Now to complete my mission."

Amélie opened the case where her rifle and gear were being stashed. She looked at the time, she had only been asleep for a few hours. That was a relief. As though it were nothing more than a brief delay, Amélie moved through the underground base like nothing happened.

During this time, she kept thinking to herself how weird her dream was. It was like Gérard reached out to her from the afterlife to comfort her. She'll never know if this was really the case, but she could remember speaking to her father during her dreams in the past. Regardless, it gave her even more motivation to redeem herself to the world.

Eventually, Amélie figured out where she was going. The layout became familiar, and she knew what path to take. Even if Dr. Graves wasn't at Camp Delta, she knew the subjects weren't allowed to leave until given his order to. I will make sure they're safe, no matter what.

The room where the subjects were kept in came into view. She couldn't believe were thirteen of them. It seemed like Talon was overcompensating for the loss of their assassin by trying to make more of them. She was absolutely disgusted by this.

The door opened silently, and Amélie gently closed it again. They were stricken with fear, and she knew had to approach them very carefully. All of them were handcuffed to chairs, and had their mouths covered by a bind.

She seemingly didn't get their attention. From where she stood, she could tell that eight of them were women, five were men. The men however, didn't appear younger than early twenties and some appeared in their mid-teens. She guessed that Dr. Graves wanted subjects that were apparently harmless, just like her.

Amélie approached a young girl, who looked around eighteen years old. She removed the bind.

"Hey, I'm here to get you out." Amélie whispered.

Suddenly she started screaming, which was the last thing Amélie needed, as it could draw the attention of the Talon operatives and the whole mission would go to Hell. Amélie covered her mouth, and kept a firm grip on her while trying to appear reassuring to her eyes.

"I'm trying to help, but I can only help if you will let me." Amélie said in a calm voice. "Settle down, and I'll release you."

She did that, her heartrate returned to normal and she acted calmly. It was assuring to see.

"Who are you?" She asked. "Why is your skin blue?"

"You can call me Amélie. As for my skin, it is a long story and we don't have time for this. What is your name?"

"Isobel." She said. She was Spanish, Amélie could tell.

"Alright Isobel, I need you to make sure everyone else is calm while I think of a plan."

Isobel nodded. She unbinded everyone else, and whispered to them that someone has arrived to rescue them. Amélie thought to herself about how she was going to get thirteen people to her ship without the risk of getting caught. There is no way I can take them all outside the camp to where the ship is parked, and doing it one-by-one is more time consuming, and just as risky. There has to be a way…

Someone trapped her shoulder. Isobel looked at her with curiosity.

"I don't suppose you brought help?"

"No… I am on own here."

That made her distraught. Amélie couldn't stand to see the face of an innocent in distress, and tried her best to think of something. Then it became clear.

"But I can get you out." Amélie said. "I can get a Talon aircraft to fly. I just have to get everyone to a ship."

Isobel looked happy again, much to Amélie's own happiness. She prepared her to tell everyone what was going to happen next.

"Alright everyone, I need you to put all of your trust in me. I have friends back at Gibraltar who will keep you safe, but that won't happen unless I can get you out of here."

They nodded.

"One at a time, I will take you through to the field where the Talon ships are located. That will be our transport. You must follow what I do down to the letter, and do not make a sound once we're out there."

"Wait," A fifteen-year-old male said. "Even if we get there, how will you be able to fly the Talon ship to get us out? You're not one of them."

That made her pause for a moment. But she regained her ability to speak.

"It's like I said." Amélie said. "You must trust me, I know what I am doing."

"Sorry to question you. I just had to be sure."

"That's Jaime for you." Isobel said. "He's my brother."

"We've been in this hellhole for a month now, and we don't know why we're even here." Jaime said. "They just torture us and make us live our nightmares, then they say we have no place in the world. Why are they doing this?"

"Because they want you to break. Believe me, getting you to Gibraltar will be infinitely preferable to the alternative."

Amélie thought to herself. She still had to get them to the ship, all thirteen of them, and the mission will fail if they are caught. That gave her some stress, to say the least. Amélie spoke again.

"Who wants to go first?"

"Take Jaime." Isobel said. "I want to be sure he's safe."

He nodded, but looked uncomfortable about the situation. Amélie knew it was going to be a long night, but this was the best time to do it, while most of the guards are off duty.

"Come with me." Amélie said.

Jaime did as he was told. Amélie kept him close by her side, to ensure less risk of getting caught. They silently moved through the hallways until they reach the surface. It was around three in the morning, there wouldn't be much time for Amélie to rescue everyone.

She activated her Infra-Sight. It enabled her to spot all the guards in the area. Thankfully, there were few, due to most of them being off-shift. Together, they moved from behind one building to another, until they got close to the strip. That's where their ride was going to be.

Amélie moved Jaime closer to the ship, mindful of any guards in the area. Eventually, she would get the two of them near the aircraft. She hoped that what she was planning would work. Amélie pressed the button on the hatch, it descended downward, allowing them inside.

"Jaime," Amélie said. "I need you to stay here and make sure no one spots you. I will get the others. If you are caught, tell them that Widowmaker is in the underground base and she put you up to this. They want me, not you, and I'll be prepared to fight them at any time."

"I understand." Jaime said. "I won't be easy to sell you out, especially since you're so nice to everyone. But I'm sure you can handle them."

"I can, and I will to make sure no more innocent lives are lost."

She turned back, ready to go through the stressful process twelve more times. Before she could depart, she was hit with a question by Jaime that tore her from the inside.

"I see you have the Overwatch insignia." Jaime said, excitedly. "You're one of those heroes, aren't you?"

Amélie paused for a second. She wanted to feel like a hero, but she knew she could never be one. There was no going back from her old life and being called a hero, that's not how she viewed it.

"No." Amélie said. "I am not a hero, far from it. I am a person who has done many, many horrible things, and I am hoping to at least quell the guilt within my conscience by doing good things. But don't ever think that I could be called a 'hero'."

"Well, I think you're one." Jaime said. "You're rescuing us from this place, from being tortured and abused for who knows what, and you're acting completely selfless on your own. I don't know what you're talking about with these 'horrible things' you speak of, but they can't be that bad if you're here now saving us."

"Just stay here, okay? I don't have time to waste."

Amélie left. She was ready to risk it all to rescue twelve more people. Over the course of two and a half hours, she moved back and forth, silently avoiding detection and rescuing each civilian from Talon's grasp. Everyone was inside the ship. She let out a sigh of relief that that part was over.

"So, what's your next plan?" Jaime said.

"I don't suppose you can fly this thing?" Isobel said.

"No, but I know someone who can."

Amélie took out a device from her belt. It was a USB drive that she used to plug in the Talon aircraft's mainframe. Several moments passed of the screen blinking on and off again, and finally the symbol of Athena came onscreen. She was glad that it worked.

"Athena online." Athena said. "I've never been inside a Talon ship before. It's interesting to say the least."

"You can have it to yourself if you would like." Amélie said. "I just need you to get us all out of here."

"Very well. Setting course for Watchpoint: Gibraltar. I'll be sure to notify Overwatch that we'll be arriving in a Talon vessel."

The civilians cheered with excitement, knowing that they were free, and it was all thanks to the courtesy of their rescuer. Isobel approached her, with tears of joy in her eyes.

"Thank you so much." Isobel said. "I will never forget this… If I have a daughter, I'll name her after you."

Amélie briefly smiled, having felt pride, then guilt immediately following it. I don't deserve to be called a hero by these people. I would have just as easily killed all of them in my old life. What kind of gratitude should I get?

"Look, I'm not the hero you think I am…"

"Don't say that. Who else would've saved us from them?"

"Someone who also had the experience of their torment. You were there for a reason. They wanted to convert you to their side, and make you into a mindless doll who will kill anyone they want without a question. I should know, I was their prime subject. That is why my skin is blue."

"Well… you're not like that anymore, are you? I don't think a mindless doll would've done that."

"No, but trust me. The things they had me do… let's just say I crossed more than a few lines."

"But that wasn't you, it was Talon. You shouldn't feel guilty for something that wasn't your fault."

She sat down, feeling the emotions going through her. She thought that if she did something good, that she would feel better about herself. Instead, she feels like she doesn't deserve to feel good, because no good deed will ever be able to outweigh a life of sin. Then she remembered what Gérard told her in her dream. I've already forgiven you. Now you must forgive yourself.

She sighed.

If only it were so easy.

But Amélie will be happy that she rescued others from suffering the same fate she did for over half a decade, just as she wanted to do. Now she had to find and kill Dr. Graves, so he could never do that again. The ship made its course for Gibraltar. She would have to talk to Winston soon, as she hopes Winston will be able to explain the dream she had that felt all too real.


	10. Return

Return

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Two-and-a-half hours passed since she and the others departed from Camp Delta in Egypt back to Overwatch's base in Gibraltar. The Talon aircraft felt familiar, as she had been in one numerous times. At least this time, she was using it for something good. Something besides transport to and from an assassination target.

The base came into view from the skies. Amélie had sat on her chair the whole time, silently thinking to herself. The fact that she truly had been doing good things for once, it was almost unbelievable. The others were socializing together, happier than they had been in a long time.

It made her smile, in a good way. _It's because of me this is happening, that their lives are being saved…_

"We're here." Athena said.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Isobel said.

Isobel hugged Amélie while tears of joy ran down her face. Amélie felt so warm and fuzzy on the inside, something unusual. She always thought she felt alive when she killed because it filled an empty void in her heart after Talon took over her life. In reality, it's things like this that truly make life worth living.

The ship parked at the landing pad a few minutes later. After the descension, everyone was happy to leave. The hatch opened, and the occupants practically ran outside to be greeted by Overwatch. Winston stood in the center, Tracer on his left, and Genji on his right.

Isobel and Jaime ran up to them, happier than they had been in a long time.

"Overwatch, you were the ones who saved us?" Isobel said. "I knew you were heroes, I never believed what was said about Overwatch being better disbanded. I don't know how to express gratitude enough."

"It's nothing, besides it was Amélie who did all the hard work." Winston said.

"Those people… Talon was their name, right?" Jaime said. "What they did… I can't put it into words. And they've been allowed to be free? I don't think there's any more proof we need. The world needs Overwatch."

Amélie observed from a distance. What they were saying was right, the world needs Overwatch. If there's any light that could be found in all of this, it's that she can be a hero herself. It may have been Gérard's job to put an end to Talon, but Amélie was damn well going to finish it.

"I understand you want to go home, but we need to make some arrangements first." Winston said. "We need to make sure Talon won't kidnap any of you again."

"I understand."

"What did Talon want with you, anyways?" Tracer asked.

"Jaime and I are the children of Spanish prime minister Victor Cavallero, an Overwatch advocate. I'm not sure what they wanted out of us, but that had to have something to do with it."

A chill ran down Amélie's spine.

 _Of course, they weren't chosen by random. They wanted more sleeper agents, just like me._

"I mean, Amélie here saved us from them. She mentioned something about being turned into a mindless doll, because she was one who did many horrible things. Honestly, given how selfless she is, it's hard to imagine her has anything but someone who belongs in Overwatch."

What Isobel said froze Amélie. She couldn't muster up the words to describe how she felt. It's true, she crossed so many lines in her actions during her life as Widowmaker that many would have no hope for her, but here she is risking everything so no one else could suffer that fate. It felt weird, putting it mildly.

"And I told her this back when she rescued me. If I ever have a daughter, I'll name her Amélie to honor her. I don't know how else to repay her."

Amélie stepped forward. As good as it would feel to be honored, she didn't feel like she deserved it.

"Isobel, you don't have to do that. You shouldn't honor the name of a mass murderer like me."

Isobel turned her attention to Amélie, confused.

"Mass murderer?" Isobel said. "Amélie, you have to remember, it wasn't you who did that. It was Talon using your body as a weapon, you can't beat yourself up for it."

"Yeah." Jaime said. "Would a mass murderer really have done something like that?"

Amélie had a smile. It was faint, but it was there. After being feared and isolated as Widowmaker, to see people who look up to her as a hero… she couldn't even put it in words. As much as she had been crying lately, she held it back. Amélie didn't want this to turn into an emotional scene.

"Well… thank you for believing in me. I appreciate it."

Isobel nodded. She then turned to Winston again, speaking once more.

"After all you've done for us, we can't just up and leave. In fact, it'd be unwise, for Talon could get us again. Is it possible for us to stay here for a while? I promise, we'll earn our stay."

Jaime and the others nodded in agreement.

"Of course." Winston said with a smile. "I'm not just going to let you go back to Camp Delta again."

"Thank you, again." Isobel said. "I promise, we won't be freeloaders. Anything you want, I'll get it done. Fortunately, my papa always taught me discipline."

"Don't worry about impressing us." Winston said. "What matters is our ability to keep others safe. That's what Overwatch exists for, and we won't let what some government chair says keep us from doing that."

"You bet." Jaime said.

"Now if you'll excuse us, I need something to eat. My stomach is about to eat itself." Isobel said.

Everyone agreed.

"The lunchroom is in the south end." Winston said.

They dismissed, waving goodbye to everyone as they went to get some food. Amélie approached Winston, but before she could speak she was tightly hugged by Tracer.

"Amélie, that was… if you ever thought there was no hope for you, I hope you're happy to be wrong, love."

"Thank you."

Hugged by the same person she hurt so much. Amélie still wondered if she deserved Tracer's forgiveness.

"Yes," Genji said. "I'll admit, I think we all had our doubts, some more than others, but this was undeniably a step forward."

Tracer let go, and Winston smiled as he faced Amélie. She felt happy, knowing that she was doing good, just as she set out to do. _Maybe I'm not a monster after all._

"Well, I'd say that was a mission completed. An absolute success." Winston said.

"Just doing my job."

"Don't be so modest. This is only your second mission for Overwatch and you've proven to us that you've changed for the better. I'll bet your happier now than you've been for a long time."

"You are not wrong about that."

"Talon must be feeling their losses right now, but let's go. It's time to relax and enjoy your accomplishments. You can't let the guilt tear at you all the time, it's not healthy you know."

Amélie stopped for a second. She had to get something out of the way regarding this.

"The guilt will never go away, and I'm not going to let it. I'm just trying to feel like I'm actually more than just a weapon meant to take the lives of the innocent."

"Like that, exactly what I'm saying." Winston said. "If there's anything you ever want to talk to me about, just ask. You can't bottle it up inside you forever."

"Well, there is one thing I want to ask for now."

"What is that?"

"I was knocked out while I was there, and during my sleep I spoke to Gérard. It was in a beautiful field, and I looked normal. No blue skin, no tattoos, just as how I used to be. He assured me that I was forgiven, and he told me to forgive myself. I can't explain it. I know it was a dream, but I felt like he was really speaking to me. Like I was talking to his ghost. I remember having these with my father years ago, and I didn't know what was the cause. Has this happened to you, and is there an explanation?"

"Well, to be honest, science can't explain everything." Winston said. "My father has spoken to me in the past, too. Maybe they're reaching out from the heavens to comfort us? I never considered myself too religious, but I know there must be something out there we can't understand."

"You might be right." Amélie said. "If Gérard is watching me, smiling down upon me, then I have to do him proud."

"Aye," Tracer said. "I think you're already doing it."

"Then that's what I will continue to do."

Amélie nodded, dismissing herself from the others. She retreated to her quarters, where she sat on her bed. It was November and Christmas was nearing, and she thought of how sad it was that she would go another year without her family. On the bright side, she won't be alone this time. Amélie wondered if she could ever regain her mother's approval. Being disowned like she was tore her on the inside, but she couldn't blame her. It was also painful that she'll never get to see her colleagues at the Paris ballet, or the children she helped teach. Sabine, Chantal, Lucie, just to name a few. She had grown so attached to them before everything changed. Now, there is no way she can ever return to her old life. In fact, trying to contact her friends and students would be the worst possible thing she could do.

Putting it one way, life has its ups and downs. She may never get her old life back, but at least it's not the one she had lived for nearly a decade. _If only there were some way I could see them again._

Having been an accomplished dancer her whole life, taking after her mother, and being part of the Paris Opera Ballet, she traveled the world alongside talented dancers like herself. It was at one such show where she met Gérard, by chance. His sister Sophie had brought him there, and when they met it was love at first sight.

 _Those days. I wish I could return to them._

But she was told to always look at the positives. The major one right now is that she is no longer a brainwashed assassin, and saved over a dozen people from becoming one themselves. Before, as Widowmaker, she never got thanked by Talon. She only reported that her job was completed, and felt satisfied in it of itself. Here, Overwatch has made her feel at home.

Amélie sighed. There was a lot of pressure to live up to. She had to live up Gérard's name, be worthy of the respect of the agents that have forgiven her, and prove herself to everyone else.

She has laid in her bed, just thinking of all the possibilities the future held. If Overwatch can become legal again one day, it's not doubt that Winston will use his connections to clear her name. That will likely come after they defeat Talon, and she wants to be sure she's there when it happens.

If justice is demanded from what she's done, Amélie won't fight the idea of going to prison. Many would've gotten the death sentence if they had killed as many has she has.

A knock on her door.

"It's me!" Isobel said.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Isobel entered with a serious look on her face.

"I just wanted to tell you that everything you're going through, I can't imagine it. I would feel guilty too, if I were in your position. But you saved me from ever being in the position. You know what happens when they break you, and they nearly broke me."

"Well, thanks for the kind words."

"I mean it. What they have done is absolutely unforgivable, and I'm sure they'll face justice in due time. We have another word for forcing people into doing your bidding against their will: slavery. There's a special place in Hell where they're going."

"Maybe I'll join them…" Amélie said.

"No, don't think like that. No one who does what you just did deserves that fate. In fact, I'd say you went through Hell already."

"True."

"Just keep this mind: Don't let the guilt consume you. It's not the right way to live. You were given this second chance for a reason."

"Alright, I won't waste it. I promise."

Isobel smiled at her before leaving the room. Amélie looked up to the ceiling, thinking about everything that has happened. She hasn't fully forgiven herself yet, but it's a start. Maybe one day, after doing more good things, she can forgive herself.

 _I've proven my ability to take from the world, now it's time for me to give._


	11. Christmas

Christmas

Paris, France

 _Nine hours ago…_

It was Christmas Eve, at roughly nine in the morning. Amélie went on a special mission for herself. She wanted to let her mother Florence Guillard know that she still cares about her. As painful as it would be that she won't get to speak with her directly, at least she can do this.

She departed from Gibraltar sometime after midnight in an Orca, and slept most of the way through as Athena flew her to Paris. Winston knew of this beforehand, and gave her his utmost approval. The air was cold, as it always was on a French winter morning.

It was snowing out, and Amélie dressed warmly. While she wouldn't feel the cold even if she wore her old outfit, she didn't wish to draw any unnecessary attention to herself. With a trench coat, gloves, a hat, sunglasses, and a scarf covering her face, Amélie hoped no one would notice long enough that her skin was blue. That had been a curse ever since Talon slow her heartrate down. She could never fit in with anyone, but no use crying about it now.

She walked through the streets of Paris, admiring her surroundings. She could see children playing in the snow, families together, and good times all around. As Widowmaker, all she had on Christmas was herself, her guilt, and Gérard's grave to mourn in the pouring rain. Not exactly a happy life she had lived, but Amélie wasn't going to dwell on that. Not today.

Amélie went inside of a gift store. While she didn't want to stick around long, she felt warmness inside of her that for once she can appreciate the happiness of others. It was full of people doing last minute shopping, buying gift cards, candy, and flowers for their loved ones. This was what she planned to do.

After a few minutes, she selected the flowers she wanted, then a box of chocolates, and finally a card where she'll put her letter in. After checking out, she rode a taxi to reach Florence's apartment. She felt excitement in her, and worry at the same time.

For the first time in seven years, Christmas wasn't spent in isolation. She knew she had to make things right with her mother, and this would be a start. While she won't get to see her read it, she knew that Florence had to love her deep down, despite learning of everything she did, and it would still matter to her.

The cab parked in front of the apartment, and Amélie stepped out.

 _I'm really going to do this. Hopefully she stills loves me. A mother's love for her daughter never goes away._

Once Amélie reached the door, she set down a box containing the chocolates, the flowers, and put a letter inside the card.

The Christmas card stated _Merry Christmas_. Inside, it was something that fit her situation well. As for her letter, it had a little more personal touch to it, which she hopes her mother will appreciate. With everything set, Amélie closed her eyes and rang the doorbell. Then she ran as fast she could in the snow and heavy clothing to make sure she wouldn't be seen.

As much as she would've liked to stick around to see how Florence reacted, she couldn't. It might not have ended well if Florence saw her before reading the letter, so she just had to imagine her response.

Amélie returned home, hoping this would be the start to making amends with the people she wronged.

A few moments after the doorbell rang, Florence opened the door. She looked both ways, and was about to close the door dismissing it as a prank until she saw the box below in the corner of her eye. Curious, Florence looked in the box.

Chocolates and flowers. She wondered if there was a secret admirer she should know about. Then there was a card, that said _Merry Christmas_. Now she had to see who sent it. Inside the card, it said _Mother. The values you taught, the love you shared, and the kindness you gave will stay with me, always and forever._

There was only one person in the world who could refer to her as her mother. Florence couldn't find the words to describe how she felt, mainly because she didn't know how to feel about it. Then there was the letter. She hesitated for a moment, but willed herself to open it.

 _Dear Mother,_

 _I just wanted to thank you for everything you have given me. Without your guidance, I would be lost. Ever since I was a child, I always looked up to you as my hero and source of inspiration, and for the past seven years I've regretted that I could never see you._

 _I understand if you will never forgive me for what I have done for so many years since I disappeared, because I will never forgive myself. Just know that I made a vow to better myself, and I hope that one day I can see you again. Until that day comes, just know that I love you._

 _Amélie_

Florence held her hand over her chest, letting several tears fall from her eyes. She wished Amélie was here now, but knew why she wasn't. She may never forgive her daughter for the things she did, but that doesn't mean she doesn't love her.

-Linebreak-

 _Nine hours later…_

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

The area was largely vacated apart from several agents and guests. At this time of the year, most were on a vacation to have Christmas with their families. Overwatch may be illegal, but a job is a job, and this is their time off. Of course, Amélie had nowhere else to go, and so this was more-or-less where she lived for now.

The interiors had festive decorations, lighting up the place and making Amélie feel like she was somewhere she belonged.

The meal had finished. It was a large roasted ham, with vegetables, fruit, and a cake, along with wine. Amélie looked at it in awe. She had been so accustomed to being alone, she forgot what it was to spend Christmas with others. She stood there, in her long-sleeve shirt and pajama pants, feeling so happy. It was almost unreal, like she was in a dream.

 _This is so wonderfu_ l.

Winston walked up to her. He was adorable wearing his Christmas sweater, and he had a big grin on his face.

"Merry Christmas, Amélie."

"I haven't heard that in so long."

"Well, you're hearing it now."

She smiled. More warmness on the inside, she could almost forget about her cold blue skin.

"I assume we have company, correct?"

"Of course."

It wasn't long until Tracer and her girlfriend Emily entered the room, excited for good times. Tracer took the opportunity to introduce Emily to her.

"Emily, meet Amélie. Funny you two have such similar names."

Amélie nodded, and the two shook hands. The last ones rounding out the set were Isobel and Jaime. They were so happy to be there, having such smiles on their faces.

"Aye, I'm ready for some good food with good people." Isobel said.

"Same here." Jaime said. "Christmas dinner with Overwatch? Never thought of that."

"I agree." Amélie said. "It's almost like I'm in the Twilight Zone."

They laughed. It was true. It wasn't long ago when she thought her life would be spent as an assassin, but now she's living as someone who inspires hope in others.

"Dinner is ready." Athena said through her computer monitor.

"Alright everyone, let's eat!" Winston exclaimed.

They gathered together around the table, and for the rest of the night, they ate and enjoyed the company of each other. Amélie took a sip of wine, but otherwise refrained from it. She had been drowning her sorrows with alcohol back at Château Guillard. Right now, she didn't need alcohol to comfort her.

The fact that she got to spend Christmas with others, and has begun to earn the forgiveness of those she had wronged, is a definite first step in improving her life. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, she could redeem herself to the world. But for now, she was glad she wasn't alone.


	12. Resentment

Resentment

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

It was New Year's Eve. 2078 would be coming soon, and everyone was back at the base to celebrate. Amélie however, wasn't celebrating. She knew that most of the other agents weren't comfortable being around her. Instead, Amélie was in her room, looking at a picture of her and Gérard on her wedding day.

She was told she had to be strong, but there were times she would feel weak. It couldn't be helped, because there was so much baggage she lived with. It was evening time, and while the other agents of Overwatch were socializing, getting ready for a new year, she knew she couldn't be among them. Several tears hit the picture frame. It hurt, knowing that she was too weak, and so many people died because she couldn't be strong enough to withstand the torture. The first victim was the love of her life, and now there was nothing she could do to change that.

Amélie set the picture down, and lied in her bed. A miserable existence, she would be the first to admit. Having to constantly live with the guilt on her mind, and going through life as a walking corpse, feeling so cold with a slowed heartbeat that constantly felt like she was nearing a heart attack. She wondered if she should just end her life. The thought crossed her mind numerous times, but ultimately, she decided not to. It would be the easy way out, and a shame to Gérard's memory. Despite it all, there were still people who cared for her, and she wasn't going to let them down.

Any warmness she got felt especially good on her skin. That is why she had several layers of blankets on top of her. She hoped the day would go by faster if she slept it off. The others that didn't forgive her had resented her, and she doesn't blame them.

"You really don't like this, do you?" A voice that sounded like her own said. "Hmph, is this the life for you? Doing 'good deeds' for people who despise you? Why don't you just go back to Talon, and do what you love?"

"Stop…"

It had been a while, but now she's hearing it again. It's the Widowmaker side of her, speaking to her conscience. Amélie wished it would just go away.

"But you've said it yourself, or did you forget? At the time of the kill, you feel alive."

"I know what I've said, but it's different now. I'm not like that!"

Widowmaker appeared in front of her. She had the smug smile that Amélie would bare in her old days, and was dressed in the outfit she once wore. This was the worst, it was like staring at an evil reflection. Widowmaker stepped closer to her, as Amélie held tightly to the sheets in fear.

"How much longer can you delude yourself into thinking this is what you want? You know you miss the old days, and you still feel that thrill when you take a life. When you killed those Talon agents, you felt just has excited as you always were. I'm sure Talon will forgive everything you have done to them, if you pledge complete loyalty for now on."

"Stop telling me what to do! I will never go back to Talon, and never will I take another innocent life again. I would die before I do that."

Widowmaker smirked, which made Amélie even more unsettled.

"Overwatch? It was a failure long before it was blown to hell. You think clinging on to the remnants of a failure you helped put out of its misery is going to make you feel better? Adorable."

"I'm going to help Overwatch put an end to Talon's terror forever, and I'll make sure no one suffers the fate that I did. You think I'm going to return to being Talon's assassin? I never dreamt that I would do that to begin with, and I'm not doing it again."

That made Widowmaker even more amused. She crossed her arms, shaking her head with disapproval. Amélie, in the sheets, felt helpless to this other version of her that was talking her down.

"You think you can run from your past? Talon perfected you. Is being the ballet dancer wife of some decorated agent what you wanted? Something for the other agents to look at, like you're some kind of object? No. They gave you the means to live your own life. I find it funny that you seek redemption, when Talon had redeemed you. Gérard was just too weak, and you've proven to be stronger than he ever was."

"Do not speak of Gérard!"

The smile turned into a psychotic grin. Clearly Widowmaker loved getting under Amélie's skin. She felt too weak to stop what she was saying, and everything hit a chord with how it matched with what she had done in the past.

"I think that's enough." Another voice said.

Widowmaker turned to the right in shock, just as Amélie did the same. Just as she spoke of him, there he was. Gérard. He gave a nonchalant smile at Widowmaker, before snapping his fingers.

"It's not over yet!" Widowmaker yelled, as she disappeared into the air.

Amélie calmed down for a second, relieved that she didn't have to hear those horrible words for the time being. But now, this is the second time she's spoken to Gérard in a dream. At least, one that wasn't a nightmare. This wasn't something she wanted to waste.

"Gérard…"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Amélie."

"I don't even know what to think anymore. Everything I hear… there's truth to what she is saying. I don't want to believe it, but I can't deny it either."

"I need to talk to you. Come with me."

Gérard grabbed Amélie by the hand. The next she knew, they appeared in a field of flowers again. Once more, Amélie was back to normal. She was in a beautiful blue dress, with normal skin, a normal heartbeat, and no tattoos. She looked at herself, wishing this could last.

"Oh, Gérard… I know what you've said that I have to forgive myself. But I don't think I can."

"But you should know that you didn't have a choice. I'm angry at Talon, not you."

"I know you forgive me, but I just can't forgive myself. What of the other people that have fallen by my hands? There's more than I can count. Those are innocent lives that I killed and took pleasure while doing it. Then there are their families, friends, admirers. I've ruined their lives by taking out the ones they loved, leaving an empty spot in their hearts. What is the excuse? I was following my assignment? It wasn't long ago when I would've laughed in their faces about it. I don't deserve forgiveness."

"I think you are forgetting an important detail: The first victim of Talon was you. It's important that you remember that, so you never return to the life you lived as Widowmaker."

Amélie let herself fall on the grassy field, looking up at the sky. Gérard sat with her, putting his hand on her shoulder. They smiled at each other, until Amélie looked away when the feeling of shame set in. It was painful, because she wished she could return to her old life of being a civilian. At the time, she was happily married, was a friend of Overwatch, and had her life as a ballet dancer as her dream career, with her own friends and students in the field. Then Talon got a hold of her, and everything changed. She had the life she wanted in one day, and the opposite of what she would ever be in the other.

"Everything I hear from her, it feels true." Amélie said. "I hate to admit it, but there's no way I can deny that I felt alive when I killed. I was so twisted, and I never thought I would be capable of feeling that way. It scares me."

"You can't dwell on the past. As I've said, you have to learn to forgive yourself. Never forget what happened, and always honor the lives that were lost, but embrace the life you have now, and make it the best you can possibly make it. Vow that you will never return to Widowmaker again."

"I will try my best. I would rather die than live again as Widowmaker. It pains me that I've lost seven years of my life to Talon, but I won't give them another second."

"I would certainly hope not."

"This is so strange." Amélie said. "I don't even know if this is real, if I'm really talking to you. I am an ex-ballet dancer with issues that no therapist in the world would be able to handle, except maybe you. But I'm not going fight it."

Gérard smiled at her. Amélie leaned over, and they kissed for the first time in what felt like forever. Amélie didn't want to leave, she wanted to see Gérard again, but that wasn't meant to be. She still had her duty to Overwatch to fulfill, and Talon still must be made to pay for what they have done. Just as it ended, she saw one last look at his smile. This was before she woke up from her sleep. She had been out for several hours. Amélie got up and stretched out, feeling the relief when the pressure off her back was gone. Once again, she looked at the picture of her wedding day with Gérard.

 _I will make you proud._

A few minutes later, the door opened. To her surprise, it was McCree.

"Well, well, well. What is this? We're having this big New Year's celebration that all Overwatch agents are invited to, and I see a conspicuous lack of a French lady there."

"McCree…"

"You can't just lay in bed all day and miss the celebration. I know you must be lonely, come on, I'll take you there and we can have some fun."

"I thought you didn't want me here? I don't blame you, but the change of heart is strange to me."

"That was before you rescued those hostages, and the kidnapped young men and women that Talon got a hold of. You've done some very good things, and I think you should be with the rest of us. There'll be time to sleep later. Get dressed first, you should wear something nice."

Amélie smiled. That felt good to hear. She nodded at him. Soon she was out the door, changed from her pajamas to a black long sleeve dress. It hid her arm and back tattoos, though she had to be careful to make sure the Talon tattoo on her leg wouldn't made visible.

She could remember McCree. There were several times where she had met him back when she was still the wife of Gérard, and he always was a gentleman. It was reassuring that he had forgiven her. Soon enough, she was there. A massive room, where the agents of Overwatch gathered together. They were having drinks, eating, watching TV, socializing, and having a good time. Amélie had to put her best effort in trying not to let the excitement get the better of her, and letting a big silly grin appear on her face. Her stomach rumbled. After that long nap, she could eat.

Amélie got some chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cookie, and fruit punch as a drink. While alcohol was available, Amélie was careful not to let herself drink too much, after spending countless nights using the wine cellar to drown her depression at Château Guillard, and avoids it now if possible.

At a table she sat, and soon she was joined by other agents. D. Va, McCree, and Mercy sat with her.

"It's awesome, isn't it?" D. Va said. "My very first Overwatch party. I can't wait for the future."

"I'd say we've earned it." McCree said. "We've been risking our lives for the whole 'greater good' thing, it's the least we can do for ourselves."

"Yes, a time of togetherness." Mercy said. "It brings back memories of the old days."

"I feel so much better here." Amélie said. "Surrounded by people I can call friends. There was never anything like this at Talon, and I certainly didn't have any friends there."

"You mustn't dwell on the past like that, Amélie." Mercy said. "Especially when we're thinking about the future."

"Yeah, you might be right."

"And I think the future is bright." McCree said. "I hope by the end of this year that we'll finally win this damned war."

"One step at a time, McCree." D. Va said.

They laughed, feeling a sense that they're a family that had been separated for too long.

Amélie felt warm again. She couldn't even begin to describe how grateful she was to be with others, people who she considers friends. That wasn't something she had in Talon. Back then, when she wasn't killing, she was isolated and miserable. Hopefully, that will never happen again.

A few hours later, and it was 2078. Amélie took part in the countdown alongside the rest of the agents.

 _My New Year's Resolution? Make sure Gérard -no, everyone- didn't die in vain._


	13. Birth of a Widow

Birth of a Widow

Seven years ago…

Paris

Dead. Gérard Lacroix was slain as he was sleeping, none the wiser that his wife had been turned by the same organization he pledged to destroy. For the past two weeks, Amélie attempted to resume her normal life as a ballet dancer, and made her best attempt to forget what happened, hoping that what they were saying wouldn't become true. But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

* * *

Just earlier today, she had a wonderful time. As an instructor at the Paris Opera Ballet School, she helped teach a class of younger girls the arts, just as she had been taught. They laughed, they bonded close together, and Amélie smiled. She could almost forget what happened, almost forget that she spent who knows how long being kidnapped, tortured, and experimented on for the sake of murdering her husband.

Almost.

Her cell phone rang. Class was almost over, just fifteen more minutes, but Amélie answered it as it was on the table. It wasn't Gérard, or anyone connected to Overwatch. It was a cold, chilling voice, and that voice told her the last thing she ever wanted to hear.

"The widow weaves her web."

The call ended. That was the moment, her trigger words. Her eyes widened, feeling that killer instinct inside of her. She shook as she set her phone down. Her friend Noelle approached her as she had her head down, with a frown on her face that wasn't visible to the others.

"Amélie, are you alright?" Noelle said.

"Yes…" Amélie said in a cold, distant voice. "An emergency just came up, finish the class without me I have to go now."

"Are you okay? Ever since you disappeared, something's been strange. Different, I would say."

"Depends on how you look at it." Amélie said. "Goodbye, I have to go now."

"Will you be coming back later?"

Amélie didn't answer. She retreated to the changing room, and got dressed in her regular clothes. She waved goodbye at Noelle and her students, without physically looking at them. Maybe, if she didn't look at them, it wouldn't be as painful. Amélie headed out the door, not wanting to look back. She knew now that she may never see the place again.

On the drive home, Amélie considered the idea of driving off course, crashing into a wall and possibly killing herself, to foil Talon's plan. But, she couldn't do it. Amélie just couldn't will herself to make such a move, and she wasn't sure if it was her fear of death or if Talon programmed it into her.

After parking at her house, Amélie hung her head down low before entering inside. She thought about how lucky she was. An accomplished ballet dancer with her own family, married to an Overwatch agent with others she was close to, has an innumerable number of friends and admirers, and has more money than she would ever need.

And it's all about to go away.

Gérard opened the door, with a joyous smile on his face.

"Ah, my dear Amélie! You're back earlier than I thought."

Then he noticed that Amélie looked visibly upset, that she wasn't her normally happy self. It was only a half-surprise, for he didn't blame her. Ever since Talon kidnapped her, there was something different. Something wasn't right and he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Amélie… is something troubling you?"

"Oh Gérard… I'm so sorry."

"For what? You did nothing wrong."

Amélie dropped to the ground, stopped by Gérard who grabbed and tightly hugged her as she began shedding tears.

"I just feel like such a burden to you. I got captured while we were out traveling the world, and you had to spend such a long time worried about me. Because you're leading operations against those terrorists, Talon, you're constantly a target. Of course, they would get to me just for being in the crossfire."

He hugged her more tightly, wanting to comfort her during her time of hardship.

"We travel the world because I don't want you to be lonely, chérie. And frankly, I blame myself for letting it happen. I should protect you better, it's what I swore to do when I joined Overwatch, and when I married you. We've been to so many places together. America, Switzerland, England, Japan, Spain, Numbani… I don't ever want to miss an experience with you. The only thing I regret was letting my guard down, but no longer. If Talon isn't going to let up, neither will I."

"Oh Gérard…" Amélie said, as more tears ran down her face.

"Amélie… what did they do to you?"

"They tortured me, just because I'm your wife. And they…" Amélie was about to say what their exact motives were, hoping to thwart what she knew she was going to do later, but she couldn't get the words out. "… they made me feel worthless."

"Your worth more to me than anything in the world."

"Thank you."

"And mark my words. They will pay for what they've done to you. Every last one of them."

"I just want to be sure it won't happen to anyone else, ever again."

Amélie stood up, wiping the tears off her face. Once again, she tried to forget what was really happening. She hoped that she could muster some kind of willpower to resist, to be strong. Gérard would never hurt her no matter how hard anyone tried to make him, she wants to be just like that. They kissed, and smiled. Each knew the other was the only one for them. If only it could last.

"There is so much for us to look forward to." Gérard said. "When Talon is defeated, we'll celebrate peace. I swear to you, I'll throw a party and all of Overwatch and their loved ones will be invited. I'll dedicate it to you, for you've proven stronger than I could've imagined. You resisted their torture, and have moved on with your life proving to be better than them."

Amélie said nothing.

"Come with me, we'll go out for dinner and a movie tonight, my treat. I just want to help ease you back into your normal life, and I'll be sure Talon never gets their hands on you again."

She nodded. They held hands as they walked outside to Gérard's car. It was a pleasant night, to say the least. He took her to her favorite restaurant, and the movie was very enjoyable. If it wasn't for what happened that night, she would've remembered this day as a fond memory.

Hours later, it was late. Time for Gérard and Amélie to get some rest, for they have lives of their own and need their full energy to take them on. Amélie slept, with Gérard on her right, hoping that nothing would come, that she could just live her life without any more interruptions.

She woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Thirsty, she downed the glass in a second. She was about ready to return to the bed, ready for the next day. Then the voice played in her head.

 _The widow weaves her web._

Her eyes widened again, and her killer instinct returned. It was the time, and she knew there was nothing she could do. Amélie grabbed a knife from the kitchen, a sharp knife that was perfect for killing an unsuspecting victim. She walked over to the bedroom, with her knife at hand, and looked at her husband for the last time. This was it, she fought on the inside with all of her might, but that didn't feel like it was enough.

"Goodbye." Amélie whispered.

With that, she slit his throat in one quick strike. There was no pain, he didn't feel anything as he died. He fell asleep and never woke up again. Tears ran down Amélie's eyes as she shook, taking several steps back before bumping into a wall. _What have I done?_ was the thought that played in her head over and over, as she realized what just happened. Amélie fell to the floor, as she began to cry in emotional agony of what she was made to do. _I should've been stronger, I shouldn't have let them do this. Why? Why me?_

Then her phone rang, and she knew she had to answer it.

"Is it done?" A voice said.

"… Yes" Amélie said. "I've killed him. He won't be a threat to Talon anymore."

"Good. Now, expect to be picked up within the next few hours. There is much to do."

"I understand."

The call ended. Talon would pick her up soon, and there was so much she wanted to do to stop them. She wanted to call the police on the operatives, call Overwatch and tell them what Talon has done, but she couldn't. If nothing else, she was going to turn the knife on herself, and give them a surprise when they come for her. If she killed herself, it'll be the one little victory she could get over Talon, that their plan wasn't a complete success.

The knife was near her neck. She wanted to end her life so badly, but it was for naught. There was simply no way she could kill herself, because Talon programmed her to live. Amélie instead set the knife down, got dressed, and waited patiently for them to arrive.

A few hours later, there was a knock. Of course, she had to answer this one, too. The door opened, and several men in suits appeared in front of her doorstep.

"Come with us." One man said.

"We have plans for you. Big plans." Another said.

She nodded. The moment she stepped outside, the men grabbed her on each arm, holding her with an iron grasp, to make sure she wouldn't run away. They moved towards a black sedan, and Amélie was sat in the center at the back of the vehicle, with one man on each side.

"You might want to rest now." The driver said. "There will be much for you to do later."

Amélie fell asleep. She wished to never wake up.

* * *

Eight hours later…

Talon base – Location unknown

Amélie sat quietly inside a room, where other men were discussing what they would do with her. One agent suggested the idea of killing her now.

"She's outlived her purpose, we don't need her anymore." The agent said.

"You might be right… but we've been told to keep her alive until Doomfist arrives. He'll decide what to do with her."

Soon enough, Doomfist entered the room with Dr. Graves by his side. The large man nodded at his agents, who cleared the way for him to face Amélie.

"After all this trouble, you're here." Doomfist said. "I just want to let you know, everything that happened, it was nothing personal. We just had the opportunity to take out our biggest enemy, and we took it. Do you understand?"

Amélie nodded, not saying a word due to both the programming from Dr. Graves and the fear of the man in front of her.

"Yes," Dr. Graves said. "Such a fine specimen, you proved far better than I could've expected. I was wanting to use this program for so long, and I'm glad the council granted me that chance."

"But now we have you on our hands." Doomfist said. "The idea of simply killing you and getting on with our operations has come up several times. However, we've decided there are further uses for you."

"That is correct." Dr. Graves said. "After all this work and resources to get you here, it would be shame if it all went to waste in an instant. That's why you'll be a member of Talon from here on out."

"Be ready, your training starts soon." Doomfist said. "After you've learned the covert arts, and how to use a weapon, you will be the blade of Talon. The means to strike our enemies, just as how you did Gérard. Our scientists are sure they'll be able to enhance your usefulness once we're done. From this moment forward, you'll have a new name: Widowmaker."

"Aren't you excited?" Dr. Graves said. "No more living the life of a boring ballet dancer trophy wife to an Overwatch agent, now you'll have an actual purpose in this world."

She shook in terror. This wasn't what she wanted, just the opposite. She never asked for this, and now they speak of turning her into the very thing Gérard swore to destroy. _How could this happen? How could people be so cruel?_ She got off her chair and stood on her knees, with hands clasped together in desperation.

"No… please let me go." Amélie said as the tears ran down her eyes. "I've already done what you told me, there's no reason to keep me here. Please just let me get back to my life, isn't it enough that I'll never see my husband again? Why are you doing this to me?!"

Doomfist's expression remained unchanged as he backhanded Amélie across the face, she feel to the floor feeling the pain from such a strike.

"That was a moment of weakness, and I hope never to see that again."

Dr. Graves and the other agents besides Doomfist laughed at her, as if her tearful request to leave and her being subsequently struck down was hilarious. Doomfist spoke up again.

"But don't worry." Doomfist said. "In time, you'll find your place is in Talon, and you will learn to appreciate what we've done for you."

"Yes, Widowmaker." Dr. Graves said. "We'll see just how much you can change. If this is what you're like now, well, it gives me something to look forward to. We will make you strong."

"Indeed." Doomfist said. "Take her to your lab. We will make sure she's ready."

"With pleasure." Dr. Graves said.

Amélie was grabbed by several agents, and taken to the room where Dr. Graves would begin the first part of the process. Amélie may have completed her task, but there was still so much more to do. She must learn to enjoy being part of Talon, if they're going to have her serve as their blade.

She entered the room as Amélie, and left as Widowmaker.


	14. Old Wounds

Old Wounds

Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Amélie made her way through the Overwatch headquarters that was Gibraltar. It had been roughly four months since she was freed of her brainwashing. At this point, she wondered how long it would take before she stopped feeling regret for the seven years of her life she had lost.

But it was easier, if only by a little. She had learned to forgive herself, by a small amount, which was helped by the fact that others who held on to their resentment eventually found a way to forgive her. Some of them, at least. There were still plenty of people who scorned her, some less obvious than others.

It was far from perfect. The fact still weighed on her conscience every day that she committed so many atrocities in the past, and no amount of good deeds could ever erase that.

In fact, at this moment she was angry. Amélie was caught in her emotions and wasn't sure how to let them out. Angry at the world, that there was so much suffering, and nothing could change that. There was a time when she was willfully ignorant about such things, but no longer.

Tracer walked up through the hallway and noticed her. She looked curious, and spoke up.

"Is there something troubling you?"

Amélie sighed.

"Do you ever feel that humankind are the real monsters?"

Tracer paused for a moment, thinking of the proper response to that question.

"Well… I'm sure we've all heard that before, but in times of hardship we all find a way to make it through. A light at the end of the tunnel so to speak."

"I wish I could be as optimistic about it as you. The fact is, we live in a world where people suffer. War, famine, poverty, and things I don't want to say still exist. No one is willing to do anything about it, and yet it's certainly possible to turn an innocent bystander into an emotionless and amoral killer."

"I see it's bothering you." Tracer said. "I'm glad you're talking about it, though."

"You could say that." Amélie said. "I just wish life wasn't like this. How can it be possible to make people into living weapons, but not help the lives of those who actually need it?"

"They say it's human nature…"

"The people who do this aren't human at all."

Amélie crossed her arms. It was making her so angry the more she thought about it. She wanted there to be peace, because the more she heard of the worsening state of the world, the more anger she felt over the fact that she held responsibility for it, and the people who did it to her have more power than the people who can fix it.

"Amélie," Tracer said. "I won't pretend to know what you're going through, but I want you to know that you're not alone. You have friends now, and you no longer have to feel like you can't speak to anyone. We don't think of you as a living weapon, we think of you as a friend."

"I never thought I would hear that from you, but… thank you. It means a lot to me. Now if only you spoke for everyone. Anyways, I have other matters to attend to."

Tracer nodded. Amélie left and went through the corridors of the base. She eventually found herself outside. It was impressive how much the Watchpoint had grown under the supervision of Overwatch's finest. It's a true stronghold that Talon wouldn't be able to break into so easily.

The sun was shining bright. Amélie enjoyed such times, but for now she had a mission. She lamented having to leave so soon, but as they say, duty calls. Soon she found herself in the mission center, reporting to Winston.

"I'm ready for a mission." Amélie said. "I know Talon has been acting again lately."

"Yes." Winston said. "But you're not going in alone this time, that's an order."

Amélie nodded. It was best she had people to fall back on. Not everything could be done by herself.

"I'm sending you to Brazil." Winston said.

"I already know what it's about."

"Indeed." Winston said. "Talon has been sighted there. It seems to me that they've been wanting to stir chaos since Vishkar's failed takeover of Rio de Janeiro."

"I'll find out what their exact motive is."

"A man by the name Sanjay Korpal has been spotted in the area. Does that name sound familiar to you?"

"I know he was Vishkar's rep on Talon's inner council, but other than that I rarely saw him."

"His presence there can't be anything good."

"I won't doubt that." Amélie said. "We'll have a little talk when I see him."

"You will embark with the team in three hours. Best of luck."

"Got it, sir."

Amélie dismissed herself. In the few hours until then, Amélie got ready. She loaded her sniper rifle, equipped her Infra-Sight and gadgets, and mentally prepared herself for her mission.

She had to be honest with herself, it was kind of exciting for her. Amélie could finally do good for the world, and the people she'll be killing without mercy and remorse will be Talon themselves rather than the innocent. _None of them deserve any sorrow for what they've done to the world._

Amélie walked out to the ship, where the other members of her team were seen. Pharah, Reinhardt, Genji, Mercy, and McCree were ready for their flight to Brazil. As she moved closer, she could tell that Pharah was shooting her a glare. It was just as she promised, Pharah hasn't forgiven Amélie for what she's done.

"To think that I have to work with someone like you." Pharah said.

"Fareeha…" Mercy said. "That's not nice."

"She's the reason I haven't seen my mother in so long." Pharah said. "Don't think I'll protect her, she'll be on her own."

Pharah retreated inside the ship. Amélie was saddened by that, but it's not like it was unexpected. At the same time, she could hardly blame her, either. The memories of that battle will remain with her forever.

"Don't worry." Reinhardt said. "I'll protect you with my life, every one of you!"

"I appreciate it." Amélie said.

"It'll take her some time to realize you're a better person than what you were before." Genji said. "But time is what heals all wounds."

"I won't hold it against her for not forgiving me." Amélie said. "I would have a hard time forgiving someone who tore my family apart."

"Well, the mission isn't going to get done with us standing here. Let's get going." McCree said.

"Understood."

One at a time everyone entered the ship. They were headed for Brazil, where they would get to the bottom of Talon's plans. Any attempt to sabotage them was one Amélie would take. Inside she sat opposite of Pharah, who wouldn't stop staring at her with the malicious looks. Amélie was legitimately worried that Pharah would attack her if she could've gotten away with it.

Though it was a longshot, Amélie decided to try to make her feel better.

"I don't blame you for how you feel." Amélie said. "Just like how I don't blame the other agents for hating or fearing me whenever I'm in their presence. If you want to know who hates Amélie Lacroix, or the Widowmaker, the most, look no further than the one sitting in front of you."

"Was that bit of self-deprecation supposed to endear you to me?" Pharah said.

"I only speak the truth." Amélie said. "The man I admire most is dead by my hands. Gérard was the love of my life, a hero to me that no one will ever be able to replace. Even at my best, I'm not half the person he was."

"I guess you're not wrong about everything."

"It hurts me knowing that I was the opposite of everything he stood for. He led operations against Talon, and I became their top assassin. Do you know how angry I am that we live in a world where an innocent bystander can made into a murderer? I just want you to know that everything I've done is something that fills me with regret. Even if you don't have my back, I'll make sure you make it home safe."

Pharah shook her head. She remained unchanged with her look, making it clear that she wasn't buying it. The hardest part wasn't the fact that she lost Gérard, but the fact that she destroyed many families during her employ in Talon. If there was a chance to make it right, she would take it.

Then McCree stepped in.

"Look, I know you're not keen on forgiving her, but you have to let the hate stuff go. I felt the same way, but she showed me that it wasn't Amélie who was responsible for what happened. It was the brainwashing. Try to imagine going through that, because I certainly can't."

Pharah didn't answer. She simply looked away, not paying McCree's words any mind. Then Pharah spoke again.

"I'm glad you're keeping your tattoos." Pharah said. "You're more of a venomous spider than a human being, so it suits you."

There wasn't anything Amélie could say that would help her. Some wounds need to heal on their own. Instead, Amélie got her rest, as the trip from Gibraltar to Brazil would be long, and it would only be the beginning.

Amélie wanted to make sure everyone got home safely, so she knew she had to give it her all. If anything, what Pharah said only gave her more motivation. It meant she still had to prove she wasn't the traitor assassin she was once thought to be.


End file.
